brief author's note: Hi there, I'm gonna try my hand at a longfic again. This is probably a really bad idea.

Warnings for the entire fic: Character death, possession, discussion of mental illness, discussion of child abuse, discussion of animal abuse, animal death, and quite a bit of violence and blood

A quick note on the timeline: In this fic, ORAS takes place shortly before BW2 and XY. Hey, it's an alternate universe, I can take liberties with things, why else would Wally still look so young at the Battle Tree.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this! I'd appreciate any feedback I can get! Thank you for reading!

Stone has been brought to Aether to be treated for Nihilego venom. Due to the nature of the Pokémon possessing him, Stone may or may not recall his experiences while under Nihilego's influence. Care is to be taken not to aggravate him, as the lingering effects of the beast's venom may make him unpredictable before treatment is finished.

Stone is to be kept in solitude aside from brief nightly visits from our current Branch Chief. Should he need to leave his room for any reason, he is to be accompanied by guards at all times. He is not to have any contact with his Pokémon, even after being treated. Contact with him should be kept to a minimum until further notice.

Wicke sighed, reading over the note once more. There was a sort of stiff formality to it. It was freshly printed and looked as if great care had been taken to keep it from being damaged. Even as she read through it, again and again, Wicke felt herself trying to keep the sheet of paper from folding between her fingers, regardless of what anyone would be doing with it afterward.

Burn it, she'd been told. Burn it to nothing but ash once this was over. No digital records would be kept of this, and all physical ones would be destroyed.

One would think that this was the Aether Foundation returning to their old amorality. It certainly reeked of something shady. Wicke wasn't about to deny this at all. However, as she walked through the stark white hall leading to Aether's medical wing, her shadow as her only company, Wicke wondered if their current president could have made a better choice. Whether it was because of who they were holding, what they were treating, or both, she wondered how things would have happened if Gladion had tried to make things public so soon.

Perhaps it was truly for the better that this was a secret, given what the note ordered them to do.

It was so…uncanny, walking through such a brightly lit hall after being in the Conservation Area for Arceus-knows-how-long. So sterile compared to the rest of Aether Paradise. Even from where she stood, about halfway between the labs and and her destination, the smell of disinfectants was overpowering. She could only imagine how things would be when she opened that door…

Wicke shook her head, quickening her pace. She'd been told to check on things nightly. She had a job in the midst of all the chaos hitting Aether, and she wasn't one to ignore the president's orders. Gladion definitely had a plan to work around certain circumstances, and she'd put her trust in him, quite possibly far more trust than she'd ever put in Lusamine.

Finally, the tapping of her heels against the floor came to a stop, and all that remained was a constant, faint buzzing alongside her own breathing. In front of her was a metal door, a shade of light gray to differentiate it from the surrounding area. Next to it, a small black panel. Wicke pressed her hand to the panel, taking a deep breath.

It would all feel like a simple passing nightmare soon enough, she was sure.

A mechanical voice rang out through the hallway.

HAND PRINT IDENTIFIED. VOICE KEY REQUIRED FOR CONFIRMATION.

"Wicke."

At the sound of her voice, the door unlocked with a resounding click. Slowly, it began to open, the droning sound of it piercing through the silence like an arrow.

This was it. One of her final tasks for the night.

VOICE KEY IDENTIFIED. WELCOME, BRANCH CHIEF WICKE.

Branch Chief. Wicke still wasn't used to hearing that title without "assistant" before it, even a few months after her sudden promotion. Regardless of why she'd been promoted, whether it was for what she did for Lillie and Gladion or simply to fill the role that Faba had been forced to step down from, she was honored to carry such a title and whatever duties came with it.

A light flickered behind Wicke once she walked in, and the door closed once more. The sound of it locking again echoed through the room, and for one brief moment, she was alone.

The medical wing was simple enough. The first sight that greeted Wicke was a long hallway with numerous rooms on each side that split into two paths at its end. Bathed in gray instead of white, save for the floor, the hallway was eternally spotless. Figures and lights reflected clearly off the tiles below. As with the rest of the foundation's more sensitive aspects, the individual rooms were outfitted with multiple layers of security.

Wicke watched as a young nurse at the end of the hall locked a door manually before walking off to the side, carrying fresh bedding under one arm.

It was only natural, given the nature of Nihilego's toxins, that security had been tightened. She had watched not just Lusamine, but much of Aether's staff as they lost all sense of themselves. To think that it had returned…

There was silence for a while, at least until the same mechanical voice from earlier sounded through the hallway, followed by the lone woman's voice.

HAND PRINT IDENTIFIED. VOICE KEY REQUIRED FOR CONFIRMATION.

"Arum."

VOICE KEY IDENTIFIED. WELCOME, ARUM.

Wicke shuddered at the thought of what Aether's future could hold if the beast itself came back.

When the sound of more footsteps drew close, Wicke's attention was immediately drawn to the source. The approaching group stepped quietly through the hall at the end, four Aether employees, two security guards and two doctors, surrounding a man who Wicke never imagined she'd meet.

The man in the center stood with perfect, refined posture, though he had a distant look in his pale eyes. He seemed to be nothing short of completely obedient to the group, and though they seemed to be asking questions-the standard "has anything changed at all?" questions, nothing more-he barely responded with anything aside from a faint "yes" or "no." His hair was slightly longer than it'd been in the various pictures she'd seen of him before, and it had become matted during his stay. Dust darkened its pale blue color. His neck was bandaged from treatment a few days prior, treatment that had happened just before the Hoenn region's authorities had contacted Aether.

He hardly looked the part of "former Champion."

"Ah, Miss Wicke!" one of the employees called, signaling for the group to move on while she stopped, "If I may have a word with you."

Wicke nodded, stepping over quickly.

The employee bowed slightly to Wicke, her bobbed crimson hair moving just slightly with her as she rose back up. She stood tall, at least an inch or two above each of her colleagues, and there was a look of confusion in her deep red gaze that send a stab of anxiety through Wicke. After all, Wicke would recognize her anywhere: This was the head of Aether's medical team. To see such a look on her face was unnerving, to say the least.

"Yes, Dr. Calla?" Wicke replied, "Is there something I should be concerned about regarding Mr. Stone's condition?"

Calla shook her head, briefly looking back to the group that had left her. There was a pregnant pause while she waited for their patient to be returned to his room. Once the sound of a door closing behind her was heard, she continued.

"No, it's not that. I've had my concerns with the orders we've been given. Are you absolutely certain that our president agreed to such conditions?" Calla asked, "I can hardly imagine him as the type to go along with such things."

"Regrettably," Wicke sighed, "He has. Hoenn's authorities have demanded such, given both the dangers of the Ultra Beasts and the status Mr. Stone holds."

"…I see," Calla replied, "I suppose that if you've put your trust in him, I have no choice but to believe in the foundation. However you may handle this…I'm counting on you just as much as you are on me."

Wicke nodded.

"Gladion has been trying to negotiate with them," she explained, "I'll do what I can for him during my brief visits."

"That's all I needed to hear from you." Calla's mouth curved into a smile. "Once everyone is finished in there, we'll let you in. Arum will be waiting outside with the guards in case something goes awry."

"Of course. Thank you."

The two stood in silence for a moment before someone else finally spoke.

"Miss Wicke." The voice was that of the nurse from earlier, Arum. She was a small woman, but she exuded a stern formality. Her violet hair had been tied back into a neat bun, and her upright posture never once faded. Her sharp eyes were locked on Wicke even as the other doctor that had been with the group walked out. She held the door to the room open with a trembling hand while the two guards stepped aside, as if beckoning Wicke towards the room.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Good night, Wicke," Calla said before turning and walking down the hall behind her.

"I'd imagine," Wicke began as she walked into the room, the door shutting quietly behind her, "That you only want to sleep. I'm sorry to disturb you."

The light was dim, and it was clear that Steven was on the threshold of passing out for the night. Nevertheless, he responded to Wicke's words with a halfhearted nod. It was also obvious that, between the utter emptiness of the room around him, the few tubes and wires that had been reattached to him for the night, and whatever tests they had just run on him, things had been far too draining on this man's psyche.

"Steven…Would you prefer I called you that?" Wicke inquired, hoping that the familiarity would help ease them both into the nightly visits.

She hadn't expected more than a nod.

"Please do," Steven replied, his voice faint.

Of course that was what would make him speak. He'd barely been treated as anything more than another faceless victim of Nihilego's venom, something to be treated and sent back to Hoenn once he was cured. It hit Wicke then that, in the end, she could easily be the only person treating Steven like he was human.

He had been under Nihilego's influence, hadn't he? She couldn't help but extend a hand of understanding to those affected by such a thing. To turn to any actions under it…

The distant look returned to Steven's eyes. How much of Steven was Wicke truly seeing? Would it be enough to convince anyone that he needed time outside his room?

He'd need it more than anything. The soft, cool ocean breeze. Time with Pokémon, his Pokémon. If not more human interaction, she would hope that he'd at least be allowed that. Perhaps it'd be even better for him than her visiting.

"…Wicke, correct? Thank you," Steven rasped, snapping Wicke out of her thoughts. Of course she could negotiate something. If things continued like this, they'd be fine.

"Of course," Wicke replied, "I'm afraid I don't have much more time here, but…I'll be back tomorrow night. Are you all right with this?"

Steven gave a slightly more enthusiastic nod than before. This time, however, there was the distinct form of a smile on his face as he closed his eyes.

"It's absolutely fine…"

Wicke spent her final minute in silence as the man in front of her fell into a deep slumber.

She could do something for him. She knew she could.

He didn't truly deserve to be treated in such a way, did he?

"We'll be expecting you tomorrow," Arum explained, "The same time. I don't expect someone like you to be late."

"Yes," Vicke breathed, trying to hide her exhaustion, "Good night, Arum."

"Of course. I'll be seeing you, then," the young nurse said as Wicke stepped outside of the hallway that had led into the medical bay.

There had been bits of hesitation in those words. Arum had certainly been nervous about the events going on. Wicke could hardly blame her after spending so much of her own day in preparation for the first visit. It wasn't every day that one simply met such a figure from any region.

Especially not with the end of the note in mind.

Time seemed to blur together as Wicke headed towards the elevator and upwards into the Conservation Area, hoping she'd be able to speak with Gladion before he retired for the night. It felt like mere seconds passed between her time near the labs and her entering the upper floor of Aether Paradise.

The fresh air felt like a blessing, and watching the various nocturnal Pokémon move about felt like even more of one. Zubats flew overhead, squeaking and bickering with one another, while a few Misdreavus hid behind trees, their attention locked on Wicke.

They could tell. These ghosts could tell she was conflicted about something.

Wicke stood in the area and simply watched for a moment. Both sleep and wakefulness existed in blissful harmony in the area, with nothing left in between the two save for the two humans standing around beneath the almost starless winter sky. Indeed, not even Alola was unfamiliar to darker nights.

"Miss…Miss Wicke," a voice began, "How was your visit?"

Wicke turned to the source of the voice, the very reason she'd headed to the Conservation Area to begin with. Gladion looked pensive, almost as if he was staring through her. Behind him, Silvally lay, trying to avoid falling asleep in such a place.

"Ah, yes. While we hardly said anything to each other," Wicke explained, "Steven spoke to me, and he hasn't rejected the idea of these visits. This is all I can say for now, unfortunately."

Gladion shook his head.

"That's more than enough to start," Gladion replied, "They're going to contact us at the end of the week. Be ready for that."

Gladion turned back to his Pokémon, which, upon noticing their trainer, let out a rather annoyed…whine? Wicke could only describe it as similar to the sound of a baby Growlithe begging for attention. Slowly, Silvally stood up, stretching out before stepping over to give their trainer a quick lick to the face. Gladion barely reacted, at least compared to how he'd reacted to face-lickings in the past, simply trying to push them away, to no avail. Eventually, Silvally stepped back and yawned gently, finally ready to listen to their trainer.

Gladion's face had brightened considerably by the end of this.

Turning back to Wicke, he spoke more quietly.

"Thank you, Miss Wicke. Good night."

"Good night," Wicke replied as the two turned towards the elevator. She didn't move with them, instead allowing herself a little solitude. She needed room to breathe after such a day, and what better place than her favorite spot in Aether Paradise?

They were in for a long, hard fight, she was sure.

Wicke took out the note she'd been given earlier. She'd have to burn it by the end of the night. She simply felt that she had to re-read the final sentence of it before she did.

The foundation had been on edge for a reason. A very good reason.

Wicke, however, could hardly believe that even Nihilego could drive someone to such a thing.

Upon the treatment's completion, Stone is to be returned to the Hoenn region to stand trial for the murder of Wallace Riva.

- Gladion