Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Masaru Daimon wrinkled his nose in distaste. His clothes still smelled like ash from the volcano, and he hadn’t even entered Wela Volcano Park. Upon emerging from Dividing Peak Tunnel and stepping into Route 8, he stretched his arms over his head and listened to his back pop with a satisfied sigh. Jingles, his Hakomo-o, and Dragon, his Jolteon, shared his sentiment and both stretched their tired muscles.

The salt-tinged aroma of the sea water beyond the coast helped cleanse his palate of soot and smoke. He eagerly inhaled the scent. After living most of his life inland on the mainland, constantly being surrounded by the sea was a refreshing change. According the map the nice lady at the visitor’s bureau in Heahea City gave him, Route 8 ran the entirety of the north coast of Akala Island. If he kept going, he would eventually curve around and arrive to the Lush Jungle. There were Passimian living there and he was hoping to capture one.

Dragon barked and trotted toward a rectangular-shaped trailer placed just off the path. The blinding white design contrasted so strongly with the browns, greens, and blues of the island it was almost shocking. Curious, Masaru approached the trailer and saw an insignia on the door that almost looked like a trident. He was about to knock on the door, but a shuffling noise drew him to the other side of the trailer, the side facing the coast.

A boy, who looked roughly the same age as Masaru, was crouched in the dirt, taking a small handful and dropping it into a vial. His skin was unnaturally pale, which he counteracted by wearing loose-fitting, but long-sleeved and -legged clothing, as well as a wide-brimmed hat. He also had on a small apron with several pockets.

“Hey!” Masaru enthusiastically greeted him.

The boy jumped in surprise, glancing over his shoulder to see who had rudely interrupted whatever it was he was doing. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, choosing to ignore Masaru and return to the task at hand.

“Hey, I said ‘hello.’ Don’t you know it’s rude not to reply?” Masaru complained.

“You didn’t say ‘hello,’ you said ‘hey,’ and ‘hey’ is not a proper greeting,” the boy replied.

“Okay, sorry then. Hello, my name’s Masaru. What’s yours?”

The boy stood up and turned toward Masaru, eyeing him up and down. He had a look of disapproval on his face. “I am Nagisa,” he finally answered, placing the vial of dirt in one of his apron’s many pockets.

“Cool! What are you doing, Nagisa?” Masaru asked.

“I’m taking soil samples to test for Ultra Space radiation,” Nagisa explained, his tone clearly indicating he wanted his new companion to leave him alone.

“Ultra Space?” Masaru said in an excited voice. “I know about that!”

“I doubt you do,” Nagisa grouched.

“No! No! Shuichi went to Ultra Space! He battled Necrozma in another world!”

That got Nagisa’s attention, as the boy dropped his haughty expression for one of pure shock. “You know Shuichi?”

“Yeah!” Masaru grinned. “He helped me rescue Jingles back when the traffickers were stealing Alolan Pokémon from the mainland. I lived in Litra for several weeks. Do you know Shuichi?”

Nagisa’s lips thinned into a straight line. “I helped him during the battle with Necrozma.”

“Then you work for the Aether Foundation?” Masaru asked, pointing to the insignia on the door of the trailer.

“Yes.”

“That’s so cool! You’re a scientist but you look the same age as me!”

Nagisa heaved a sigh, finding this conversation tiring. “Yes, cool. Can I help you with something?”

“No, not really.”

“Are you a trial-goer?”

“No, I’m just training. I spent a year living in the wilds around my hometown to get a feel for it and, after hearing about Shuichi’s story, decided to come to Alola for some proper training.” Masaru gestured to Dragon and Jingles. “We need to be ready for the Elite Four.”

“Of what region?”

“I’m thinking I’ll try the Kanto region. Do you need any help?”

“Not really,” Nagisa replied, “but I’m guessing you won’t go away even if I ask you. Here, take a vial. Try to dig about twenty centimeters down.”

It was still a strange sensation to wake up in Paradise every morning and remember Junko was no longer there. Mukuro coped as best she could, and she was certainly handling her emotions much better since she began seeing her therapist. She spent her whole life trying to support Junko, especially after the Aether Foundation was established and she finally thought her sister had found meaning and a direction in life. Now that Junko was gone, Mukuro had struggled to find her own direction. She constantly second-guessed her choices in how to run Paradise and wished Chisa was still around, but the officer had to return to the Sinnoh region now that she was no longer needed undercover. Thankfully, the Monokubs chose to stay and had, surprisingly, proven themselves competent enough to be helpful.

Mukuro sighed contently as she walked through the conservation area. The Pokémon here had escaped any trauma Junko’s siege may have caused a year ago. All except Junko’s fighting Pokémon, but they had recovered very well. When not being forced into the agony of Mega Evolution, the four of them were pleasant to be around, but Mukuro still couldn’t call them her own. They were free-rangers in Paradise, no Pokéballs, no trainers. She had Lunala, but no one could replace the Pokémon she lost. She would always feel that pain, but at least she knew how to move on now.

Aerodactyl lifted its head as Mukuro walked over it on the raised walkway. Fixing the hole it had made when it crashed into the side of Paradise had been Mukuro’s first duty as Madame President. She had ordered the mansion be torn down and the materials used to repair the hole. She took great pleasure in watching the building collapse into a pile of debris and dust. Now, the northernmost edge of the north deck was a lookout point, with the deck itself turned into a landing pad for Pokémon and helicopters. The outer edge around the north deck had been converted into more living quarters for the individuals of Ultra Megalopolis who chose to remain in Alola. Thanks to them and their nocturnal behaviors (to avoid the intense sunlight), Paradise always had active workers during every hour of the day. Nagisa was trying to coax his people into the daylight, but he knew it would be an uphill battle. They had lived their entire lives in darkness, and Alolan daylight was too much to undertake without gradual acclimatization.

“Miss Ikusaba!” Monosuke, his glasses nearly falling off his nose, came rushing up to her carrying several files, his Electabuzz struggling to carry the rest of them. “We’ve managed to retrieve more information from the secret lab computers,” he reported.

When the bombs had destroyed the secret labs a year ago, Mukuro had feared all the information stored there had been permanently lost. Their first priority was repairing Paradise, so the secret labs had been left to rot for a long time before someone remembered they were there and decided to do something about them. Monosuke had dedicated his time to retrieving any data he could from the broken computers, gradually recovering bits and pieces about the Ultra Beasts.

“What have you found?” Mukuro asked.

“We’ve recovered the basic profiles of the identified Ultra Beasts, but, so far, any infos on the Beast Killer Project is still lost.”

Mukuro sighed, looking away from Monosuke to hide the brief flash of sorrow in her expression. “I think it’s best we let the Beast Killer Project die. The world doesn’t need that data. Mosaic and Satz are just fine where they are. Satz will never be subjected to cruel treatment, nor will he ever use the Memories since Shuichi has custody of them.”

Monosuke frowned at her response. “While I understand your viewpoint, I don’t thinks that’s best. Sure, we ain’t gonna make any more Type: Nulls, but… what if someones else tries what Junko did? What if they make artificial Pokémon? Our data and experience could be helpful.”

“…I suppose you’re right,” Mukuro conceded. “But it is only for reference in case of future occurrences. If I catch anyone using that data for anything else, or viewing it without permission, we destroy it. Are we clear?”

“Yes ma’am!” Monosuke saluted her and walked away with his Electabuzz, shuffling through his files.

Mukuro leaned over the railing and watched as several Petilil, Cottonee, Bounsweet, and Cherrim emerged from the shade of a large tree, the latter unfurling their petals to soak in the warm rays of the sun streaming through the glass roof. Junko’s Tyranitar was standing beneath the same tree, eating some of the low-hanging berries. The small Grass-type Pokémon moved around its large feet, unafraid of the hulking beast. Gengar was hiding in the shade of one of the elevated walkways, preferring to stay out of the light, but no longer leering with hostility. In fact, there were several Mareanie sitting with it.

This is what Paradise was meant to be; and now that Junko’s gone, it finally is.

“Ultra Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Ultra Recon Squad. Their continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To go where no man has gone before—!”

“Shut up before I make you shut up,” Maki growled.

But her threat fell on deaf ears; Kaito was having too much fun to care, and, she was grudging to admit, she was having fun too. Still, she was getting tired of him making that speech every time they embarked on a new mission. About a month after the final end of their journey in Alola, Kaito was contacted by the International Bureau concerning his conversation with Director Kirigiri. After giving it some thought, Director Kirigiri decided to accept Kaito’s proposition.

Now, Kaito and Maki stood before an Ultra Wormhole, double-checking their white, skin-tight uniforms to make sure there were no rips or tears. Nebby was nearly bouncing with excitement as he waited for them to finish the final touches before setting out. With a hand-signal, Kaito ordered Nebby to crouch so he and Maki could climb onto the Solgaleo’s back. The helmet’s visor wasn’t enough to cover the lower half of Maki’s face, so she purposefully turned her head to hide her blush when Kaito glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was settled.

“I’m fine, let’s go,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his torso.

“Alright Nebby, charge!” Kaito shouted.

Nebby threw his head back and ruffled his mane. His body began to glow, the wormhole resonating with his power. Nebby bunched his back legs beneath his body and launched forward, the Altar of the Sunne melting into the blues and purples of Ultra Space. Kaito tightly gripped Nebby’s mane as he galloped forward, his feet throwing rainbow sparks that dissipated as the Solgaleo raced by.

One of the tools the people of Ultra Megalopolis had provided the Aether Foundation was supposed to help track where an Ultra Beast had originated. Maki and Kaito were technically officers of the International Bureau, but they worked closely with the foundation and had been stationed in the orchard house where Chihiro, Kiyotaka, and Mondo had been staying while in Alola. Some of the perks involved with associating with both the Bureau and the foundation was access to equipment and tools others couldn’t possess.

The tracking tool almost looked like a dinner plate with a small indent at the bottom. The Beast Ball containing the Celesteela whose fuel was being siphoned to power Paradise had been fitted into the indent. It had taken Kaito a long time to decipher how the fluctuating colors and radiation waves indicated the direction and distance one had to go to reach the world beyond Ultra Space, but now it was almost second nature to glance at the tracker and maneuver Nebby on the correct course.

A distinctly-white wormhole loomed in the distance, soaring closer as Nebby sprinted straight for it. Maki shut her eyes as Nebby leapt through it, the sudden change in entering and leaving Ultra Space still a little disorienting. Nebby extended his claws and dug into the stone ground, skidding to a halt.

Wherever they were, it was almost unbearably hot. The cracked stony ground was covered in some sort of green moss, which appeared to be the only kind of vegetation. Kaito and Maki slid down Nebby’s side, their boots slamming firmly against the stone ground. The duo released all their Pokémon, the flying/levitating ones taking to the sky to keep watch for any possible hostile creatures or people. There was what looked like a hill beside them, which Kaito started climbing to get a better vantage point of their surroundings. While he did so, Maki took a moment to crouch down and collect a small sample of the moss in a vial.

“Maki-roll!” Kaito called out to her, gesturing for her to join him at the top of the hill.

The “hill” revealed itself to be the edge of a deep crater. From this high ground, they were able to look out across a dismal plain pocked with multiple craters, as well as steam vents and strange pointed structures that stuck out of the ground. Maki lifted the visor of her helmet and wiped the sweat beading on her brow.

“It’s hotter than Alola here,” Kaito remarked. “Let’s be quick.”

Kaito snapped several pictures on a camera loaned by the Aether Foundation while Maki collected some soil samples. Their job was to collect as much information about these worlds as they could to send back to the Aether Foundation and the International Bureau. So far, they had yet to stumble into a world with people, but Nagisa claimed they were out there. This place seemed too hostile for organic beings, which might be why it was the world of the Celesteela.

“Got everything?” Kaito asked Maki, who nodded in return. “Okay, let’s finish this.”

Kaito removed the Beast Ball from the indent in the tracker and threw it into the center of the crater. Celesteela emerged from the flash of light, its two rocket arms twirling as if it were stretching its limbs. It looked around, letting out a pleased-sounding hum once it recognized it was home. From Maki and Kaito’s experience with this particular Ultra Beast, Celesteela never showed any signs of hostility toward anyone. It looked at the pair of humans, so small in comparison to its own giant body, then activated its boosters to lift into the sky.

Maki, Kaito, Nebby, and the other Pokémon watched as Celesteela rocketed away, finally free from its restraints. Maki quickly made several notes about their last observations of Celesteela’s behavior.

“It never gets old, does it?” said Kaito.

“We’ve only done this once before,” Maki responded.

“And it hasn’t gotten old.”

Maki sighed and pocketed her notepad. They had already returned Junko’s Buzzwole to its world, a strange jungle land of trees that were vaguely humanoid. After this mission, they would return to Paradise and report their findings and deliver the samples they had collected. After a brief period of rest and preparation, they would venture into Ultra Space once more to return Pheromosa and Monokuma’s Guzzlord. Once the trainerless Ultra Beasts were released back into their habitats, Maki and Kaito would borrow the Monokubs’ Ultra Beasts to visit their homeworlds and collect more information.

It was everything Kaito dreamed of, and while Maki hadn’t envisioned herself in this line of work, she was happy wherever he was, Ultra Space included.

Makana threaded the long stems of several flowers together, creating a lei of multiple colors. Normally, when she created these flower offerings, she used the four colors associated with the islands, favoring pink since that was the color of Akala Island and Tapu Lele. However, this offering was not going to Tapu Lele; rather, these flowers were being used to decorate the grave of the Type: Null.

There were so many graves in Memorial Hill, most of which were unmarked or the headstones worn smooth, so it was difficult to know who was buried where. Angie’s Rockruff was buried close to home, so the only grave she was positive about its inhabitant was the Type: Null. Keoni had painstakingly crafted the headstone and she maintained it.

She wasn’t present for the journey to Ultra Megalopolis, nor during her cousin and her friends’ final confrontation with Necrozma, so she never got to see how destructive and powerful Mosaic was. However, once Junko was gone and the Aether Foundation recovered, she decided to volunteer in the conservation area and rehabilitate the Pokémon, only to discover the story of the three Type: Null during a conversation with Monophanie. Makana had looked upon Mosaic as a strange, mismatched creature; odd-looking, but harmless with Shuichi as his Trainer. Now, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the creatures.

Mosaic and the third Type: Null had lived and were able to leave the Alolan Islands, but this one was not as fortunate. It spent its whole life being experimented on, then tortured to death; the least she could do was not let it be forgotten. So, once a week, she created a flower offering, gathered a wooden rake, dustpan, rag, and bucket, and made the trek to Memorial Hill. She removed the old offering, now brittle and browned from dehydration and the sun, and raked the top of the grave to remove any debris. Then, she would dip the rag into her bucket half-filled with water and wipe down the surface of the headstone. With her diligence and dedication, the tombstone was never dirtied or covered in moss.

Despite the joy she derived from keeping the grave clean, knowing the grave would be identifiable for many years to come, she couldn’t help the stab of sorrow in her heart every time her gaze lingered on those words.

She couldn’t do much, but she could do this.

No one was sure how the Temple of the Moone had fallen into such disrepair. The Altar of the Sunne was maintained by the Keala family, so one would assume the Keawe family would oversee the maintenance of the temple since they were the old family of Ula’Ula Island. However, the Keawe family, even in olden times, never resided in the vicinity of the Lake of the Moone. In fact, the family lived within Malie City, the only one of the old families to live within a major hub, instead of a smaller town, on the outskirts, or in the wilds. Since Aoi and Yuta were members of both the Keawe family and the Seafolk, they tended to wander further then other members of the former. They had ventured to the Lake of the Moone at a young age, their first solo expedition, and were perplexed by the conditions. They returned several times as they grew older, using the quiet surroundings as a training ground.

Now, the four families had come together with new plans to repair the temple. Aoi and Yuta didn’t know what the intention was toward the location, or whether it was simply to preserve another important facet of their culture. Perhaps the siblings should care more about the latter but given how the place was left to rot with no one else caring, their attitude might be a tad bit lax concerning the temple’s condition.

But the four families weren’t here to talk about the temple; that was to come later. Right now, Keoni, Aoi, Yuta, and Sakura had brought the families together to right a wrong from so long ago. The story of the Pillager of Light had always existed but, for some reason, had been repressed to the point barely anyone remembered the document’s mere existence, let alone the story itself. The story was true; it happened in the past and, more recently, almost happened again. Now, it was time to place the story among the countless others in the Alolan traditions. Future generations would know what occurred in Alola, both hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, and more recently.

It was decided the original document, missing its cover and slightly battered from its ordeal, would be returned to Malie Library and kept safe and secure. The box it was kept in was the original, but now had a new engraving upon it thanking Nagisa Shingetsu for safeguarding it. Copies had been made of the document, and would be distributed across the islands and to a select number of locations in other regions. Alongside the copies of the archaic story were also copies of the new tale that had occurred.

Together, they were the story of the Pillager of Light and the Beast Killer.

Upon Shuichi and Mukuro’s requests, the second story didn’t go into much detail about Mosaic’s creation, only that he was an artificial Pokémon, created purposefully to fight the Pillager. Shuichi, Mukuro, Kaito, and Junko weren’t mentioned by name, only their roles as the guardians of the Beasts of Light, the befriender of the Beast Killer, and the summoner of the Pillager. Perhaps, in the decades to come, people would begin to doubt the legitimacy of the second story as they had concerning the Pillager of Light, but what mattered was that the stories existed, whether they were believed or not.

The Keala family was still adjusting, most of the members having spent their lives in isolation on Poni Island. Puanani proudly admitted her role in the trafficking, continuing to believe it was better Junko had summoned Necrozma to deal with it directly rather than let it wander uninhibited. She stood by her actions, refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing. For that, she was not allowed to return to the islands, and leadership of the Keala family fell to Yuta.

And so, standing together as one on the emblem of the Lake of the Moone, the four old families remembered the past, the truth and the lies, and looked to the future.

“Kyoko!” Makoto nearly slid past the doorway but managed to snag the doorframe to stop himself from going too far, Victini jumping off his shoulder and treading the air with his wing-like tails.

Kyoko looked up from her desk, watching bemusedly as her partner readjusted himself and successfully made it through the door. She recalled that was something he did all the time; too excited to slow down and explain in a calm manner. In the past, when he was a junior officer, he attempted to present himself in a more professional demeanor before just giving up. Besides, she preferred him this way; it was endearing.

“What are you excited about now?” she asked, closing the file she had been looking over.

“Sayaka’s coming back to Sinnoh!” He stumbled on his way into her office and nearly slammed into her desk. “She’s having a concert in Hearthome City in March! Look!”

He excitedly waved an envelope in her face, which she deftly snatched out of the air. Opening it revealed two VIP tickets for said concert, along with a note littered with drawings of hearts and smiley faces. A cursory glance over the words squeezed in among Sayaka’s doodles revealed a brief overview of what she had been up to the past year and how excited she was to see Makoto and Kyoko and hoped they could attend the concert.

No doubt she would want insider’s information about what happened in Alola, but, despite not having known her as personally as Makoto did, Kyoko knew the other woman wouldn’t speak a word of what they told her. Sayaka had been there in Unova, alongside Makoto and Leon, as the region almost fell apart because of misguided beliefs. That incident hadn’t been as notorious as the Kanto Incident, but it was still well-known, and even had been more meticulously detailed than the Kanto Incident concerning what was released to the public. And yet, Sayaka, despite being a famous popstar and openly stating she was present in Unova during the events ten years ago, never breathed a word.

“Have you ever been to a concert?” Makoto asked.

“No, I’m not sure if I’m one for such loud venues as a concert,” Kyoko replied.

“We’ll get to be backstage; it won’t be so crowded.”

“I’m going,” Kyoko assured him. “Maybe I’m not as close to Sayaka as you are, but I still consider her a friend. Leon... I'm still unsure about our relationship standing.”

“He's just more guarded,” Makoto answered. “Leon likes you, so don't worry about it.” Makoto glanced down at the top of Kyoko’s desk, reading the title of the file upside-down. “Is that Shuichi’s training schedule?”

“Yes,” Kyoko opened the file again and handed one of the sheets of paper to him. “He just completed a six-month session of basic training.”

“He’s getting it all done in the largest increments?” said Makoto, reading the paper he had been handed. “I guess that makes sense; no point in dragging it out. Have we matched him with a partner yet?”

“Unfortunately, no. We have an odd number of junior officers and they were all paired before he accepted— and we currently don’t have any cadets being considered for junior officers. I think it’s too early in the year for any surveying officers to have determined whether the cadets are ready. For now, he’s a solo officer.”

Makoto hummed softly to himself and returned the sheet of paper. “You’re supervising his training?”

“Not directly, but it’s not like Father is going to stop me.”

Makoto laughed at that statement. “At least we know he won’t need to wait two years before going on his first independent mission. Although, Kaito and Maki are already completing missions; I hope he doesn't feel like he's being left behind.”

“Kaito and Maki are already cleared for their missions, but they’re a special case. They didn’t need to train in most of the laws and legalities of the regions. Shuichi understands that.”

Makoto stepped around her desk and offered a hand. “Let’s take a break from work. Want to take the ferry across the cove to the resort?”

Kyoko frowned and looked at the small stack of files on the corner of her desk, then, with an uncharacteristic shrug of the shoulders, she accepted Makoto’s hand and stood up from her chair. After Shuichi healed Necrozma, Kyoko and Makoto had taken a small vacation with the rest of their new allies, but they were being watched by Jin Kirigiri for most of it. Perhaps this outing would just be for the day, but it sounded lovely.

“Last box!” Mondo announced triumphantly, like this was the greatest task he had accomplished in years. “Everything’s out of the moving truck.”

At the moment, their new house looked like a cluttered mess with all the stacked boxes and furniture haphazardly arranged. Mondo, Kiyotaka, and Chihiro had lived in the living quarters of Bureau Headquarters for years, ever since each of them joined the Bureau. After living independently in the orchard house, where Kaito and Maki were currently staying, the trio realized they couldn’t return to the apartment-like living quarters. It was too crowded; not enough space. And so, the three of them sought out a new residence and found the perfect home in Veilstone City. Now, they were separated from Bureau Headquarters by a thirty-minute ferry ride.

The headquarters were located on Battle Zone Island, a subregion located northeast of the rest of the Sinnoh region. The island itself was a prime location for strong Trainers, as well as a vacation spot with the Resort Area. Headquarters were located between the Battle Frontier and Survival Area, facing the bay. The ferry would take them directly to the small marina outside the main building.

“Do you think Kyoko and Makoto will ever leave the living quarters?” Chihiro wondered.

“I doubt Director Kirigiri will let them,” Kiyotaka replied.

Mondo grunted in displeasure. “Look, I know he’s protective ‘cause he lost her for fifteen years, but she is a grown-ass woman and he needs to accept that. She has her own life to live and she and Makoto are going to leave the living quarters at some point.”

“Perhaps we should worry more about our living quarters,” Chihiro stated, smiling sheepishly as he glanced at a specific pile of boxes taller than he was. Those boxes were filled with all his computer equipment and had nearly taken up a quarter of the space in the moving truck.

With that, Mondo picked one of the boxes labeled “Kitchen” and carried the items into their new kitchen, where Kiyotaka had already started unpacking and filling drawers and cabinets. He decided to be the muscle while Kiyotaka put things where they belonged. The latter was much better at organizing, so Mondo admitted defeat and chose to stick with what he knew.

Chihiro managed to heave one boxes into his arms and successfully made it to his room. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a feat a couple years ago. Working mainly behind a computer screen didn’t offer much opportunity to build muscle, but Mondo had been an endless source of encouragement, even if the latter didn’t know how to support Chihiro’s goals half the time. Kiyotaka and Mondo had surrendered the master bedroom to Chihiro for his massive computer set-up, something Chihiro wasn’t exactly comfortable with considering the duo shared a room and bed, so they would logically need more room. Yet, Chihiro was able to work from home most of the time; he would only need to go to headquarters for debriefings and if there was anything wrong with the mainframe. Still, this seemed like too much room for him.

With Chihiro in the master bedroom and Kiyotaka and Mondo together in one of the other rooms, the third remaining room was being converted into a guest room. Chihiro wasn’t sure exactly who they would have staying with them, but he supposed it didn’t hurt to be prepared. Maybe his father would come to visit, or Kiyotaka’s parents. Or they would be the hosts of certain officers.

“I say we grab lunch before we get started,” Mondo called from kitchen.

“Procrastination never accomplishes anything!” Kiyotaka argued back.

“But we need the energy to unpack.”

Chihiro abandoned his boxes and raced for kitchen, vocally agreeing with Mondo’s suggestion of lunch. The kitchen was half-unpacked, so they couldn’t cook anything. It was best to head into their new home-city and see what it had to offer in cuisine.

“Shut! Up!” Miu shrieked, ripping the batteries out of the fire alarm. “What good are these things!? All they do is scream at you!”

“They detect fires,” Keebo replied in a deadpan tone. “Perhaps if you caused less fires, you wouldn’t be hearing the alarm as much.”

Miu scoffed and threw the batteries over her shoulder, leaving the chassis of the fire alarm hanging from the ceiling by a couple wires. She climbed down the ladder and kicked the batteries across the floor, causing them to roll under one of their work benches.

“This place is too sterile,” she complained. “Where’s the love? Where’s the comfort?”

Keebo sighed and shook his head, trying to focus on the dissected heat-ray gun on the worktop in front of him. He and Miu had left their garage behind, trading it for a research lab in Bureau Headquarters. Despite his clear revulsion for Miu’s behavior, Director Kirigiri expressed interest in the siblings’ inventive and technological abilities. The two weren’t technically officers, but they were still employees of the Bureau, in charge of investigating, maintaining, and inventing new equipment and tools for the field officers.

He couldn’t help but slightly agree with Miu. The garage might have been cramped and cluttered, but it was theirs. This place had more to offer, but it needed a touch of comfort. He kept taking exaggerated steps because he was expecting the floor to be covered stacks of newspapers and rags they used to clean up spills. Perhaps it was best the floor remain clear, but they could hang some posters or some pictures. Just a small piece of home, now that they had traveled so far from it.

“Do you think if I ask Kaito, he’ll will bring me my own Xurkitree? I miss that thunder noodle,” Miu remarked.

“I don’t think he and Maki are allowed to bring Ultra Beasts back,” Keebo responded.

“Then what’s the point!?” Miu heaved a frustrated sigh.

“Maybe if you focus on work…?” Keebo suggested.

Miu grumbled but resolved herself to working on her current project. Well, working on one and testing another. She had gotten the idea from Octillery’s tentacles: the invention was a harness with four robot arms coming out the back. She was still working some of the bugs out of the arms’ maneuverability, but, so far, no one had come out permanently scarred. Still, Octillery pulled himself to the rim of his water tank, watching fixedly to make sure the arms didn’t short out and start a fire, or electrocute his trainer. He could mend the former with a Water Gun and the latter with an Ice Beam.

In front of Miu was Junko’s PowerLock. It was decreed the device was not to be used again, but Director Kirigiri wished to know how it functioned, how Junko was able to unlock the full potential of the Pokémon she targeted. So far, Miu wasn’t discovering anything all that marvelous about the PowerLock and was sorely disappointed.

“Look at this,” said Keebo, holding up a small, red, glowing ball with a pair of forceps. “It’s the heat core.”

“Don’t burn your thigh,” Miu snickered. “Man, there’s nothin’ in this thing!”

“You’ve barely taken it apart.”

“I know, but I was expecting something by this point. Why are we even bothering learning about this thing if we’re never gonna use it? Director says we’re gonna destroy it once I’m done. What’s the point?”

“In case something like this happens in the future,” said Keebo. “We can’t let someone like Junko build another PowerLock. That’s why we’re destroying it but need to know how it works. And think about it, Miu: you’ll be the only other person in the world who knows how it works.”

Stoking her ego was always a guaranteed way to get Miu working again. With a smile dripping with pride, she got to work taking apart another panel on the side of device, one of her robotic arms delicately pinching and rearranging wires.

Rantaro pushed through the crowd of attendees and reporters with their cameras and microphones. A couple recognized him from the large photo Kiyo had on display and attempted to engage with him, but he politely shook his head and continued pushing onward until he reached the head of the crowd. Kiyo, Kirumi, and Angie warmly welcomed him, pulling him into the small bubble of space where none of the attendees could cross.

The partition wall separating the finished Alola Wing from the rest of the museum was against their backs. It was finally time to unveil the Alola exhibit after nearly two years of work. Rantaro wasn’t all that familiar with how these ceremonies were performed, but he wasn’t expecting this immense of a crowd. Yet, maybe their story had something to do with the number of attendees coming to the grand opening. It was no secret Angie, Kirumi, Kiyo, and Rantaro had taken part in what occurred in Alola, and the proof was displayed on the partition.

During the celebration in Iki Town, right before sunset, Mahiru had insisted on taking a group picture of as many people she could fit into frame. Of course, Shuichi and his friends were front and center with their Pokémon, with the International Officers, Kahunas, and Kuzuryu Clan behind them. Any empty space was occupied by random Alolans, Aether employees, and Ultra Megalopolans. In the very back, peering over the crowd to see what was so interesting, were Nebby and Lunala.

The head curator exchanged some words with Kiyo and stepped to the side of the partition wall. Kiyo removed the photo, handing it off to Angie, and the partition was opened, revealing the Alola Wing. On the far wall at the opposite end was the completed painting of Lunala, her wings glowing with the power of the full moon behind her. Angie was the only one who saw Lunala’s strike from the shore, so the painting was a one-of-a-kind event. As people trickled in, Rantaro looked up to see the painting over the entrance to the hall. This one depicted Nebby standing on what looked like a cliff overlooking the ocean, the sun hanging above his head.

“That one was easy,” Jataro commented, having approached Rantaro when he saw the latter was looking at the art. “We had Nebby here in-person.”

The long-ways walls were decorated with even more paintings depicting Cosmog, Cosmoem, and the Guardian deities. Necrozma was in one painting, but its full body was purposefully obscured using some forced perspective techniques. Below this painting was a glass case containing the shard of Necrozma, the only piece of the Pillager of Light remaining after its restoration into the Blinding One.

Beside the case with the shard was a similar glass case, but this one held Kaede’s Z-Ring, which she had willingly surrendered because she saw no reason to keep it for future hypothetical battles she didn’t foresee herself partaking in. Shuichi had sacrificed his own to heal Necrozma and Kaito still had his since he and Maki were venturing into dangerous territories. The two of them were gifted a couple Z-Crystals that were compatible with their Pokémon. Above the glass case were a string of wooden ornaments shaped like Z-Crystals, each painted to resemble one of the eighteen.

Despite the two paintings of the Beasts of Light and the artifacts brought back and donated from Alola, the pinnacle of the collection were two documents: copies of the Pillager of Light and the Beast Killer. Above the glass case holding these documents was one final painting, one Angie had completed by herself. It depicted the top of the tower in Ultra Megalopolis, Ultra Necrozma’s glowing body levitating in the center. Below it were two figures, one clad in a white suit, facing away in the picture, and the other clearly being Mosaic. Shuichi didn’t want to be immortalized, but Angie knew she couldn’t leave out this significant moment. So, her solution was to have Shuichi facing away. No one could see his face, so no one could identify him. Only those who knew the full story knew who he was.

There were many subtle designs that tried to bring the Alolan environment to life, but Rantaro couldn’t help but feel it would never compare. After witnessing the beauty and majesty of the islands, nothing could replace that feeling. Still, it was clear Kiyo and Angie tried their best to bring a little bit of the Alolan culture to Litra. It couldn’t compare, but that wasn’t the intention. For anyone who couldn’t make the trip to the islands themselves, it was a little piece of Alola waiting for them.

Now he was feeling adventurous. Maybe it was time to visit the islands again. Maybe he could stay with Kaito and Maki in the orchard house, or at Aether Paradise. Or he could just sleep out under the stars, under the protective light of the moon.

Gonta was sad to see Maki go, even though he was happy for her since she and Kaito would be traveling between worlds together. Still, she was good at her job and the daycare felt a little empty with her gone. Thankfully, the daycare receptionist had a solution, and Sonia and Gundam welcomed her group of friends as new employees. They were an odd bunch, but the pair decided they had no right to judge.

The new employees all referred to each other by nicknames, like “Ace” and “Black Jack,” and had a strange way of communicating with one another, full of theatrics and flourishes. Gonta was overjoyed to welcome Kokichi into the daycare, completely unaware he was friends with Queenie, the receptionist. They took to their jobs immediately, barely requiring supervision, although there were times Sonia had to rush in to break up some mop fights. It was a little tiresome trying to prevent DICE from committing pranks, but it quickly became clear it was inevitable.

Besides, it helped lighten the monotony some days.

“Satz! Look this way!” Nagito prompted, snapping a photo of the Silvally. His pictures would never compare to Mahiru’s, but he treasured them more for the memories rather than the artistic presentation.

“His name is Ersatzeile,” Izuru insisted for the umpteenth time.

Hajime figured at some point his twin would figure out the name was too complicated for everyone who wasn’t Izuru to say repeatedly, but he had yet to learn. Hajime, Chiaki, Nagito, and practically everyone else referred to their Silvally as “Satz,” and Izuru corrected them every. Single. Time. Or he would say Satz’s name with emphasis while glaring at whoever had just called the Silvally by the nickname.

Satz had the helmet removed months ago once he was comfortable enough they were sure he wasn’t going to attack anyone. Unlike Mosaic, who was a prolific battler, Satz was a pet who would never see a fight as long as his four caretakers lived. Thusly, his body never quite filled out with muscle, leaving him always looking a little sickly, but both Gundam and Mikan confirmed he was healthy. His crest was never completely unfurled, always being held in a half-folded position.

“How many more pictures are you going to take?” Chiaki asked, yawning halfway through her question.

“Not many,” Nagito mumbled, looking through all the pictures he had already taken.

It wasn’t even a special occasion. The four occupants of the house and their Pokémon were just enjoying a somewhat-warm day in the backyard. No doubt the weather would turn cold again within a few days, so they were relishing it while they could.

“Nagito, stop taking pictures,” said Hajime. “No one’s going anywhere; there’ll be plenty more moments together.”

“Okay…” Nagito relented, sitting down in the grass but still coveting the camera.

Hope and Joy climbed into his lap, begging for their owner’s attention. Merrick floated nearby; with his rocky body, he wasn’t as prone to demanding physical affection, but Nagito liked to decorate him with ribbons. Nagito looked around at his husband, his brother-in-law, and their best friend, sitting in the grass with all their Pokémon, just enjoying the day before the weather shifted and it would be too frigid to spend time outside.

It was hard to believe he almost threw this all away. If he had succeeded at the darkest point in his life, he wouldn’t have any of this. That’s why he was adamant about helping Shuichi; he couldn’t let the young man’s hope be lost to despair. He had so much waiting for him in the future.

Life was good because it was one worth living.

Peko’s cell phone rang with an unknown number showing up in the caller ID. She held the phone in her hand, eyes narrowed at the screen. There were many ways this could play out, but she had a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind of who this was. Just as the final ring was about to chime, she chose to answer and held the phone to her ear. The voice on the other end didn’t come from the speaker, but rather, rang within in her mind.

“I was worried you weren’t going to answer.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, recognizing the mental voice. “I didn’t know the number.”

“I find some human inventions tedious, but the distance between us is too great to communicate telepathically.”

“Are you in Kanto?”

“No, I’ve gone north to a place called Kalos. There is a violent history of a bloody war that occurred here thousands of years ago. The Menhir Trail is marked with hundreds of graves of Pokémon who died in the war. The gravestones emit a strange energy.”

“That’s very morbid,” Peko stated bluntly.

“It’s another indicator of the brutality humans are capable of inflicting on Pokémon.” Peko was about to speak up, familiar with her friend’s tendency to rebuke humanity for the crimes of the few, but he continued speaking. “But… I have also found a place called the Pokémon Village. Here, the Pokémon live in hiding, but kind-hearted humans care for them and they show a mutual trust. I guess… it is as you said. There’s good and evil in this world, kindness and cruelty.”

“I’m glad you’re finding this for yourself,” she responded. “I wish you luck in your travels, but always know you’re welcome here. Litra’s a highly-populated area, but we can shelter you.”

“I will consider it. Thank you, Miss Peko… for everything.”

Ryoma gave the bag of treats a single shake and listened to the cacophony of a total of sixteen paws scramble from all over the house in their haste to reach the kitchen. Skitty, Meowth, Purrloin, and Glameow all came galloping in, mewing and begging for the treats in his hand. They wound around his body, perfectly willing to be the epitome of affection when they wanted something, then go back to being reserved. He could pick them up and cuddle them, but only on their terms.

He rapidly scattered four treats in opposite directions so each of them would get one and wouldn’t knock each other over. While they were distracted, he discreetly stowed the treats in the cupboard once more; otherwise, the cats would continually beg for another, and he was adamant about not over-feeding them. They weren’t battlers, so he had to take care in maintaining their body weights. Since they were so lazy, and were only willing to exercise for short periods, he did so by rationing their food.

It felt nice to have a moment between tournaments and training just to relax at home. He had taken time off his regime to help his friends in Alola, but that hadn’t been a vacation until the very end of the journey. He wasn’t one for adventures, that was more Kaito and Rantaro’s forte. His girlfriend had been delighted when he had called after the closing ceremonies of his last tournament in Unova, revealing he was going to have about a month-long break. She was out at the store right now, buying groceries for a special dinner. He had just returned late last night and practically went straight to bed.

It was a lazy day, but those were comforting every now and again. With the cats satisfied, he returned to the bedroom to unpack his suitcases, since he had just stowed them against the wall to keep them out of the way but couldn’t muster the energy to unpack last night.

“Hoenn’s almost as warm as Alola,” Tsumugi commented. “I should have packed more summer clothes, but it’s just been so cold in Litra lately…”

“You can modify your clothes, can’t you?” said Utsugi.

“Yes, but I don’t have enough sewing supplies to make it look good.”

“Nothing you make ever looks bad,” Tenko complimented.

“Thank you.”

The three girls stopped their conversation as Himiko approached them, clutching a bag containing her contest supplies. Once they had arrived in Lilycove City, they quickly dropped their belongings off at the hotel and decided to go exploring, but the heat and humidity drove them to seek shelter in the Contest Hall. While they were there, Himiko decided it was best to sign herself in with the reception and collect her passes for the contest. She reached into the bag and pulled out three passes, one a participant badge, one for costuming, and one a guest pass, and handed them out to Utsugi, Tsumugi, and Tenko respectively. The three girls placed their passes into the plastic sleeves on their lanyards while Himiko checked to make sure hers was in the bag.

“What should we do now?” Tenko asked.

“I recommend going somewhere with air conditioning,” Himiko drawled. “The heat is making me tired.”

“There’s the department store,” Tsumugi suggested. “Or we could go to the beach and see the lighthouse.”

“Didn’t you get enough of the beach in Alola?” Himiko groaned. “So hot and the sand’s rough.”

“Alola was a year ago,” Tsumugi pointed out. “I think my tolerance for the beach reset at some point.”

“There’s an art museum,” Utsugi read from the pamphlet she had collected from the hotel.

“Angie would enjoy that, but she’s not here,” said Himiko. “But maybe we could take pictures for her.”

“Art museum it is!” Tenko announced. “Then we can go to the department store, and then the beach once the heat dies off.”

“We just need to make sure we don’t stay out too late,” said Tsumugi. “We need to get up early for Himiko and Utsugi’s final costume fitting, so I have plenty of time to make adjustments and corrections.”

Kaede settled on her cushioned bench, organizing her sheet music and double-checking the color of the paper clip to make sure this was the correct collection. That action caused her to flashback to the day she met Spooky, the chain of events being set in place because she had grabbed the wrong music. Spooky herself was sitting near the easel of her piano, prepared to use her shadowy claw to turn the music pages in Alba’s place.

Alba had become very broody lately, which hinted her clutch of Eevee eggs were due to hatch soon. The Sylveon was crouched in the entrance of a covered plush bed Kaede had bought for her to house the eggs. Alba was always guarding the entrance, but whenever Kaede was able to lure her away, she would quickly reach in and check the eggs, making sure the interior was warm enough. She had Gundam and Sonia visit to examine the eggs a couple times, since it would be impossible to take the clutch out of the house without Alba becoming agitated. Kaede was lucky her Sylveon let her touch the eggs at all, especially since Alba wouldn’t even let Cy, Spooky, and Cloud anywhere near. Sonia reassured Kaede it was first-time jitters; once the eggs hatched and Alba saw her offspring were safe, she would calm down.

No doubt, Kaede was excited for the eggs to hatch, but she had one reservation. The eggs were the offspring of Alba and Scout, and Shuichi and his Pokémon were currently in Sinnoh. If they were due to hatch soon, Scout might not be present to greet his children at their birth. She kept Shuichi updated all the time and planned to initiate a video call when the eggs hatched, but it wouldn’t be the same.

With a sad sigh, Kaede began playing scales across the black and white keys. She was overjoyed when Shuichi decided to take the opportunity of a lifetime and become a junior officer of the International Police, but that also meant he had to travel to Sinnoh for training, leaving a small void in her life. Sure, they talked at least four times a week, but he was so far away.

It had been strange to return to life after the Alola adventure. She almost couldn’t believe she had embarked on the journey at all, and life almost felt a little dull without the thrill. However, she occupied her time with her playing. The Hinatas, Hajime and Izuru’s parents, had been enchanted from her playing at the wedding and offered to be her managers, wishing to send her all over the world to play for countless people. Mrs. Hinata had even negotiated with popstar Sayaka Maizono for a collaboration in her upcoming tour through Sinnoh. Kaede knew Spooky would be overjoyed to meet the singer.

The gentle lilting of the piano was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Kaede was shaken from her musing and rushed to answer the call. She already had an idea of who it might be.

“Shuichi?”

“I have a surprise for you,” the voice on the other end spoke through the speaker.

“I’m on a boat heading for Litra. I can see the coast right now.”

“Really!?”

Shuichi was forced to hold his phone away from his ear while Kaede shrieked with happiness. Scout, Lumine, and Mosaic, who had all been gazing out over the water as the boat rapidly approached the Litra marina, looked up to see their Trainer wincing with his phone at arms-length.

“I completed my six-month training block and Detective Kirigiri insisted I take time off,” Shuichi explained once he felt it was safe to bring the phone close again. “I should be there in, maybe, an hour. I could’ve flown the entire journey, but my flight from Saffron City to Goldenrod City was very turbulent over Mount Silver, so I decided to take a boat up the coast. Would you like to join me and my aunt and uncle for dinner?”

“Of course! What am I going to wear?”

“Don’t fret too much about it. We’re almost to the shore; I’ll talk you in-person soon, okay?”

“I look forward to seeing you, Officer Saihara.”

Shuichi sputtered slightly and hung up before he could make a fool of himself. No doubt Kaede was giggling since she must have heard his stuttering before he ended the call. Despite becoming a junior officer of the International Police, being the trainer of the Beast Killer, and embarking on the Alola journey, some things never changed. Maybe he should feel a little apprehensive about traveling on the water after nearly drowning in the tropical storm, but that same memory reminded him that he had a larger chance of surviving if the boat capsized than if his plane fell out of the sky. Perhaps it was best he not linger solely on what could go wrong.

The boat docked at the marina, the travelers on board disembarking in droves. Shuichi remained on the deck for a few minutes longer, so he wouldn’t be caught up in the throng of the crowd. For those few minutes, he kept looking out over the water as the sun gradually sank below the horizon, a not-quite full moon beginning to shine down as the light of sun died out.

Scout tugged at the leg of Shuichi’s pants, eager to get off the boat and return to Litra. Shuichi stooped to pick up his duffel bag, slinging the strap across his shoulders. Lumine and Mosaic flanked him on both sides, while Scout rode on his shoulders as they exited the boat down the ramp. Most of his fellow travelers were far ahead and the marina was practically empty, offering a peaceful walk over the water. Shuichi hummed to himself, looking at what boats he could see from the path he was walking and spied Rantaro’s, meaning the young man was currently in Litra and not off on one of his adventures.

Shuichi nearly stumbled when he walked into Mosaic. The impact didn’t even faze the Silvally, who had stopped right in the middle of the floating dock to stare at something over the water. Shuichi steadied himself, turning to see what had interested Mosaic so much he would freeze on the spot. Shuichi sputtered and gasped, nearly having a heart attack at the sight of the glowing draconian creature levitating right beside the dock. Lumine curled his lip slightly while Scout’s sleek fur bristled, which Shuichi could feel against the back of his neck.

Necrozma watched every movement the four figures before it made. There was a hesitance in its body language, broadcasting it was prepared to flee at the slightest indication of hostility, but showed no aggression in return. It just watched them with a new sense of intelligence it lacked as both the Pillager of Light and during its period of being controlled by Junko. It held no resentment toward them, understanding why they committed the actions they did: to protect their world from its madness. It understood that now.

In time, it would realize descendants should not pay for the crimes of their ancestors and would return to Ultra Megalopolis to bless the world in light before departing, never to return to the world of its trauma again. There were many atrocities it committed while shattered, and it would set them right in its own time, but right now, it wanted to lay eyes upon the person who may have dealt it terrible suffering, but in the end saved its very existence.

Shuichi and Necrozma’s eyes connected, their held gaze one of comfort and understanding. Mosaic watched intently as well, no longer driven by his intense desire to destroy Necrozma, but not trusting its presence around his Trainer. Necrozma bowed its head toward Shuichi, then, with a downstroke of its four wings, it lifted away from him. Shuichi watched as the glowing entity soared across the golden-orange waters, vanishing from his sight within the slight shimmer in the sky of what was no doubt an Ultra Wormhole. He continued watching long after it had gone, an odd feeling of happiness and sorrow settling in his chest, knowing he had healed that creature of its endless torment, but also knowing he would likely never see it again. With that, he readjusted the shoulder strap of his duffel bag, scratched Mosaic behind the ears, and continued walking toward the ramp to leave the marina.

And so, the beast that bestows the light left this world under the light of the setting sun and the moon just beginning to rise.