Here we are. The final chapter of Trials. Hope you enjoy the way its ending goes and I'll see you all at the bottom. (And don't forget to support me on Patr(e)on, please!) Time for Chapter 29!

Chapter 29

A Month

"Alain, what is that thing? !"

"Mairin, get back to the lab!" Alain's voice roared to the redhead that was standing on the steps of Professor Sycamore's lab. She instantly obeyed, herself and Chespie scrambling upwards to get to the professor. Alain, for his part, tossed a pokeball forth. "Charizard, let's go!"

"Rawwr!" The fiery beast roared, soaring from his pokeball with energy. In the sky, there appeared to be a swarm of creatures, the likes of which Alain had never seen before. One of them appeared to be large and red, while another appeared like paper, slipping through the sides of the thin gaps between buildings. The city alarm was already blaring intensely, warning of the strange creatures that had appeared in the sky.

"All citizens, please evacuate to the nearest Pokémon Center, Prism Tower or the League stadium," called the voice of Officer Jenny over the intercom in a calm fashion. At least it was one person not panicking, despite the city at large seeming relatively freaked out. Of course, they were probably handling it better than most after the major assault many months ago.

Karheehee! One of the paper-looking ones suddenly made their way towards the lab, slicing through the air. Not that it looked to be attacking anything…it was simply moving. That alone was enough to slice off half of the pokeball on Sycamore's fence. It was also enough to send Alain springing into action over the entire situation.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" he called out. Charizard rocketed upward, his flapping wings creating a gale behind him as he soared through the air. The great Fire type opened his mouth and let loose a gushing torrent of flame. Alain watched carefully against their unknown foe as the Flamethrower made contact, though it seemed to do little.

Kareeeeeee! it screeched loudly, cutting through the fire like it was nothing until it reached Charizard and made contact. The Flame Lizard Pokémon roared loudly in pain before falling, clearly hurt by the thing's slicing capability. It was a trickier opponent than Alain could have even imagined.

"Dragon Claw!" Alain cried, throwing a hand up while he whipped off his white lab coat. Charizard shook his head, recovering from the strike but flying straight back up, making sure to avoid the opponent's movements entirely. His claw glowed a bright green as he sailed in for the slicing beast. The attacks met in a head on collision, straining against each other for a moment. However, Charizard's attack was definitely the weaker of the two, and the strange creature broke through it, slicing once more across Charizard's midsection. "Charizard!"

"Garchomp, Hyper Beam!" Alain turned, diving to the side of the black beam that was fired from the double doors of the lab. It slammed into the creature, knocking it off of its present course, though it still looked undamaged. "Guess that isn't enough…Alain!"

"I'm on it!" Alain raised his wrist up, a bracelet sitting upon it. This one wasn't similar to his time with Lysandre, though, but rather one that Mairin made to accompany the new keystone and Mega Stone that he held. "Charizard, let's go! Keystone, respond to my heart! Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!"

He wasn't the only one to have ordered for Mega Evolution. Sycamore had called for it as well. Both of their Pokémon shined brightly and began to change as energy flowed between their keystones and Mega Stones. Charizard, like before the whole debacle with Flare and DARC, transformed into a great black-winged Pokémon as Garchomp's claws became like blades. Together, Alain and Sycamore faced forward.

"Dragon Claw!" They both cried. Their dragons soared upwards, towards the spinning creature that was squealing through the air dangerously. They both collided with it, one on either side, the green claws ripping into its form. This time, the fortunes were different. The creature was unable to hold against the might of the combined Mega Evolved Pokémon, and it was thrown off, slamming into the wall of Sycamore's lab.

"Now, Blast Burn!" Alain cried. Charizard flew low, grabbing ahold of the creature and slamming it to the ground as it began to crackle and smoke with curdling flames. Soon those flames exploded, leaving the creature defeated, though Charizard seemed winded. "There are more of those out there, professor."

"Yes…" Sycamore noted, scratching at his chin. "Alain, head into the city and gather as many Mega Evolution users as you can. I fear from our earlier skirmish that it may be the only thing…"

"I'm on it! I'll go find Meyer," Alain confirmed with the man. There was a silent wish in there for the man to take care of Mairin while he did so. "Charizard, come on!"

Charizard roared and flew after him, still retaining his blackened form. Alain kept his eyes peeled for anything moving, any more of the creatures or other marauding Pokémon that could be attacking. Getting to Meyer was the first thing on his mind as he ran, but hearing what sounded like the snapping sound of a door closing, Alain had a second thing on his mind: what in the world was going on?

"Alakazam, Shock Wave!" The Psi Pokémon's spoons all levitated into the air while its beard bristled with blue sparks. Those sparks then seemed to join up with the spoons, creating a net of electricity that then blasted outward. The opponent it was facing zipped away at incredible speed. "That thing just won't stay still!"

"That's for sure! Rhyperior can't even hit it!" Seamus turned his head to Rocky, scowling a bit. He wanted to make a comment that Rhyperior could barely hit anything on a fast day, let alone against such a speedy opponent that looked like it was beginning to fade in and out of reality. Instead, though, he said nothing.

"Then tie it down!" Bethany yelled. "Everyone stick your heads back inside those windows. You take one step outside of the school and it's detention for a month!"

"Strict as always…Crawdaunt, Guillotine!" Christopher roared. His Rogue Pokémon clicked its pincers and then ran forward for the same creature that was zipping around. Seamus grit his teeth; it had come out of nowhere. One minute they were sitting there teaching strategies based on last year's Kalos League from that Sawyer kid (well, Rocky was teaching off of Astrid's battles) and then the next the whole building was shaking. Crawdaunt slashed forward, but the Pokémon vanished, not even touching the ground before it kicked into Crawdaunt. "Yeah…it's fast…thankfully there's only one of them."

"Until you realize it's driven the wild Pokémon into an absolute frenzy. Who's idea was this?"

"It doesn't matter. Find a way to pin it down so that Alakazam can nail it!" Seamus told them all. He had to wonder if this was the only place it was happening or if the whole region was experiencing the phenomenon…no, the whole world! Christopher and Bethany went into action while Rocky tried to hold off the wild Pokémon attempting to stampede their way through the school.

The creature before them was zipping furiously around, not to mention dangerously. Vanilluxe floated forward at Bethany's command and in a few short seconds was firing Ice Beams that created large walls to box it in. Crawdaunt scuttled up them to stand above and hold it in. Seamus looked to Alakazam and nodded, his Mega Evolved Pokémon bristling once more with the electricity. At the same time, its eyes were glowing blue.

"Let's go, crush the walls in with Psychic and finish it with Shock Wave!" he called, punching forward. Alakazam's eyes flashed and the ice walls created by Vanilluxe moved inwards, closing the space that the creature could flit around to, the thing desperately looking for an escape. Then the Shock Wave burst out slamming into it and breaking through the walls, sending the creature towards the square. It collapsed, smoking, before it seemed to fizzle and fade away entirely. Alakazam reverted from its form. "Beth, Chris, can you secure the town?"

"We're on it," Chris said, nodding his head. Bethany took his hand as they began to run off. "Find out what's going on!"

"Will do!" Seamus told him. Behind him, Rocky looked to have cleared away any assaulting Pokémon, leaving the school safe. Thankfully, the kids were still inside, even if their faces were pressed against the windows with awe. Seamus walked up to his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "Nice work."

"Yeah, I'll check the battlefields," the boy said, jerking his head to Rhyperior for them to make their way around the exterior of the school. Seamus, meanwhile, strode right into the school. His students scrambled away from the window, some to greet him and others to act like they'd never done anything in the first place.

"You were sooo cool Mr. Seamus!" cried a blushing girl. The blond smiled at her but said nothing, walking straight for the room in the mansion that had been dubbed the teacher's lounge, and he walked inside, closing the door tightly. Whatever news he was about to see, he didn't want to upset the children outside the door. Soon as he was sure it was safe, he turned the TV on.

"Reports are coming in of attacks all over the regions," the reporter on the television spoke, and Seamus just watched, lines hardening on his face as he did so. There were images on the screen of various assaults waged. In particular they focused on Sinnoh where some major heavy hitters in the Elite Four were shown battling in the most well-known towns and cities. They weren't the only ones, especially with shots of Hearthome and Veilstone City being shown. Seamus recognized one from Bethany's old magazines as Fantina, and he definitely recognized the purple-haired boy from his extensive watching of Ash's Pokémon League battles.

"Yeah, the question is where are they coming from…?" Seamus breathed out.

"Sources have reported that the attacks began after a series of wormholes appeared over the Alola region," the reporter continued over the images. "The reasons are unknown, but it is said that League and island officials in the region are busy fending off the problem, despite it bleeding over into other regions as of this moment. In the meantime, it is recommended that all civilians find their nearest Pokémon Center. Do not fight these foes unless you possess a power like Mega Evolution. They're remarked as being incredibly dangerous due to very different properties. Take caution."

"Would have been nice to know before they nearly destroyed the town," Seamus scoffed out, but otherwise said nothing. More images began to play, but Seamus wasn't really watching them, even if there were some familiar faces plastered across the television screen's surface. He was just contemplating what was even going on in Alola. Then he chuckled. If something was going on, he had a pretty good idea of just who was there. So, he only held on to one wish. "Stay safe, everyone."

Hala was staring out over Iki Town, the civilians all scrambling to get down the hill, while Crabominable waited next to him. Reports had already been flying in from Olivia on Akala of the creatures that had attacked Heahea, Royal Avenue and Konikoni City. It was like what had happened in Heahea City before…no, it felt more like the events from six years ago. Now, he was just waiting for the civilians to evacuate before the enemy made their way here.

Bzzzzzz! Hala's head snapped upward, his ears almost twitching at the foreign noise. Next to him, Crabominable was clicking his claws angrily, almost disturbed by the presence that was invading their island. The old Kahuna cast one more look down the mountain that Iki Town was situated on to see Ilima and his Smeargle guiding the citizens along. Knowing that their space was now open for a battle, Hala raised his foot and slammed it down.

"Come at me, you beast from the netherworld!" he roared loudly. Crabominable, too, stomped on the ground. "You are facing Kahuna Hala, the strongest in Melemele…no, in Alola! I will not let you or your ilk tarnish our beautiful islands!"

Wowowowowowowo! Finally, rising over the trees was the opponent they were seeking. It wasn't alone, however. The numbers were limited for certain, but there were still many of them, each a pulsing red in color with antennas that quivered and clicked. That was at least some sense of a boon, though. Whatever had happened with the portals that appeared in the sky for a time, they were now gone. They had certainly delivered a manner of wicked creatures, but they didn't have the forces that Hala could not deal with.

"Crabominable, use Ice Hammer!" Hala roared, plunging his hand forward. The forward-most creature zoomed straight at them with its buzzing wings, fist glowing a bright orange as it sailed for Crabominable. The Wooly Crab's own frost imbued fist struck out as well, the two meeting in direct combat. Hala could tell his trusted Pokémon was already struggling. "Rock Slide!"

"Crabababa!" Crabominable cried out. The shining glow appeared in midair above their buzzing opponent, and then rained rocks down onto them. The creatures staggered, looking injured from the strike for all of a moment. It then disengaged from Crabominable in order to punch upwards and knock all of the rocks away.

"A tricky one, is it?" Hala grumbled, folding his arms and once more slamming his feet. "Use Close Combat!"

Bzzzzzzwowowowowo! the creature cried out, both of its hands glowing different colors, like some sort of simultaneous attack. Hala's mustache bristled, and he could immediately feel the power behind it. Close Combat wouldn't be enough.

"Crabominable, full strength!" Hala bellowed out, crossing his arms in front of each other. The Z-Crystal upon his ring glowed amber, emanating a power that seemed to make the creature recoil slightly, as though reacting adversely to the crystal itself. Hala uncrossed his arms and began to punch forward. "Fiend of the netherworld, face the full might and fury of a Kahuna! Realize your fate…and perish! All-Out Pummeling!"

"Crabah!" Crabominable roared, the power of their combined strength flowing into one another with all manner of energy. Crabominable's pincers soared out, punching at the air. Ghostly hands flew forth, battering the creature into the air as it was knocked upwards to the setting sun, dyeing the sky blood red. The creature was finally sent spinning as the last burst of energy sent Crabominable careening forward, laying its entire body weight into the creature and sending it flying off to the ravine. Hala heaved a little.

"Guess these old bones can't give as much as they used to…" he chuckled out, but kept himself standing straight. The buzzing sound filled the air, combined with that familiar cry. The other creatures seemed to be infuriated over their comrade's defeat. Hala and Crabominable turned to face their enemies, steeling themselves. "Come at me, you beasts."

Wolowolowolowolo! one of them cried out, and all four of them streaked towards Hala in the center of Iki Town. The Kahuna shifted his foot, a bit of a grin rising underneath his mustache. If this was to be his final battle, he would make it a glorious one.

Koa, my old friend, he thought to himself, grinning alongside his Pokémon, looks like I might be joining you soon.

Kauuuuuuuu! The cry disturbed Hala's thoughts and the older man looked up. There was a blazing electricity traveling through the air, zipping for the creatures at an immense speed. Before they could even get to touching Hala, it had blasted through their center, sending shocks of immense power that caused the creatures to tumble backwards. Tapu Koko then zipped around, facing them in a midair challenge. It looked down to Hala, blue eyes gleaming, and the older man understood. It wasn't his place to die just yet. We shall rain our fury!

"Yes," Hala spoke calmly. Tapu Koko turned back to the four beasts, its hands raising in a beckoning fashion. Then it zipped through them again, the creatures giving chase. Hala ran forward, just enough to see Tapu Koko close its shield in order to defend against the attacks that the beasts made. However, once they had all converged, that same shield snapped outward, sending an explosion of purple electricity that obliterated the enemies. As they fell, smoking, Hala could see their bodies disappearing.

"So…" he breathed, watching Tapu Koko zoom to another place on the island, "it has truly begun, has it? The great battle for our islands. I wonder, which will triumph this time, my friends. The sun? The moon? Or the eclipse? I suppose…only the Tapu's Champions can now determine that fate, before the stars fall."

With those words, Hala turned away from the ravine, the blood red sunset fading away into a peaceful night sky, the stars drawing ever closer together by the day. His gaze narrowed, his feet traveling down the hill with that thought that was now stirring in every prominent figure throughout Alola: the war for their region had begun.

Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?

What is a Pokémon Master?

You're nothing!

Who are you?

Ash sat up, heaving with breaths, not even realizing or recognizing his surroundings. All he knew was that cadence of words inside his head, tormenting him in his endless dreams; ones he thought he'd never wake up from. He flinched, feeling pain running all along his ribcage. For a second, touching his hand to his chest and wincing, he couldn't remember how he'd gotten in that state. It very quickly became obvious, though.

He had lost. To Guzma. Again. What was worse was that the man's words echoed inside his head, reminding him of how pathetic he was, and had been. It would have been embarrassing…if it wasn't so horrifying. He had lost when it mattered most. Nothing he did had saved Lillie, or Nebby. In the end, he had to accept how worthless he was, and how broken his body felt. He drew his legs close, dragging bedsheets with him as they touched his wounded chest, and his wounded pride. "It hurts…"

"Pikapi?" The sound of Pikachu's voice distracted him away from the pain he was feeling and he looked to the foot of his bed. Standing there, bandaged up but fine, was Pikachu, looking at him with large eyes. The pain melted away and Ash smiled.

"Pikachu!" he called out. Pikachu cried for him again and ran the length of the bed to bound into his arms. Ash caught him and hugged him tightly, forgetting the pain in his body. Pikachu was okay. That was one of the most important things. Now, he just needed to see how the rest of his team, his friends and Serena were doing.

"Pikapi, chu chu pika," Pikachu said, pointing to the right. Ash turned his head. He could finally take in the details of the room. It looked like a part of the manor at the Aether Foundation, like a guest room of some sort. There were four beds in that particular room, with two of them tucked in neatly while the other was occupied by someone still sleeping. However, what Pikachu was pointing to was his bedside table, a small orb and crystal sitting atop it.

"Nanu…" Ash breathed. He could easily recognize them for what they were. There was no note attached (it certainly would have seemed too sentimental for the Kahuna), but Ash understood what the sentiment was. Whether the man had actually stopped by, or if he had simply had someone deliver the required items, Ash didn't know (though he guessed at the latter, given Nanu continued to not seem the type for personal visits). What did matter, was that it was Nanu saying he had cleared his Grand Trial. He had "exposed the dark".

Ash, however, felt that couldn't have been further from the truth, even if he had technically defeated the man back at Po Town.

"Mmm…" came a groan from the other bed, one that was recognizable. Ash's hand stopped over the orb and crystal, deciding to grab them before turning to face the form of his girlfriend, waking up. The first thing she seemed to see was him, and they locked gazes. Then they sighed. "We really screwed up, huh?"

It was a sobering truth, and not necessarily one that Ash wanted to face. Nevertheless, he reached a hand up to his hair and ran it through the follicles. "Yeah, I guess we did…"

Serena said nothing else, but both swung their legs out of the bed in tandem. Ash had a little more difficulty than his girlfriend, but was still able to stand with little problem. They were right up against each other, and for that moment, Ash wanted to embrace her. He did, and she returned it, the two of them holding each other close like they were all that was. Of course, he knew that wasn't the case, but at least for those few seconds of togetherness, there was nothing wrong.

"I wonder how long we were out," Serena spoke. It broke their moment, and they separated. Ash didn't have a clue, but from the light that was streaming into the room, he was certain it was at least hours, if not more. He figured their answer would come soon enough, especially when Pikachu leapt to the floor.

"Pikapi. Pipika," he called softly and then started running for the door. The couple looked to each other and decided to follow the electric mouse. Taking hands, they did just that, stepping out into one of the hallways of the manor. It was a strange sight, seeing the place filled with some employees of the Aether Foundation scrubbing the walls. They ignored their presence, but Ash was fine with that, leading Serena down the hall after Pikachu.

Voices and other noises seemed to grow louder the more they walked along, following Pikachu through the twists and turns of the manor. The light was growing brighter, and at some point, the couple turned a corner and noticed that they were facing a courtyard in the manor, filled with lush vegetation, bubbling springs, and some dirt battlefields. That wasn't the most important sight, though. The one that was, was the fact that all of their Pokémon were there.

"Hey, it's Ash!" Hau called cheerily, raising his hand and waving exuberantly to the couple. That got more than its fair share of attention.

"Kooroo!" Decidueye called first. Ash took a step into the courtyard, letting go of Serena's hand. He was glad he did, as Decidueye came sailing through the air to land on him, enveloping Ash within his wings. Ash started to laugh despite the pain in his chest, but the laughter soon turned to crying out when his other Pokémon joined in.

"Haka!" Hakamo-o called, reaching him at the same time as Passimian. The Teamwork Pokémon picked him up in his arms, almost squeezing him, but applying just enough pressure to not hurt him. Lycanroc quickly licked at his face while Toucannon's large beak touched to Ash's forehead. Even Greninja came close and hugged Ash. He had to laugh at his typically stoic Pokémon doing just that.

"I'm so glad you're all okay," he laughed out. In the corner of his vision, he could see that Serena and her Pokémon were embracing as well. Some loud, unseemly sobs indicated Ash to Team Rocket's presence, too. That was a surprise. "Lycanroc, you doing okay after that poisoning?"

"Lycrrr!" Lycanroc growled and then howled to indicate she was feeling just fine. Ash smiled at that, throwing his arms out and embracing them in another hug.

"You guys are the greatest," he said, nuzzling into Lycanroc's mane. They all responded solemnly, understanding better than ever what was on Ash's mind. It was the same thing that had been afflicting him since he woke up.

They were so weak. And not just in strength, but in their own conviction.

"You guys feelin' better?" Hau's voice asked. Ash perked his head up to the smiling boy. His Incineroar was out, munching on a berry while sliding a grin in Decidueye's direction. Ash wondered if, perhaps, his Pokémon had been training against Hau or Team Rocket since their disastrous attempt to save Lillie.

"A bit, I guess," Ash laughed out. He reached up, taking ahold of Hau's hand and being pulled up. Once he was standing straight, Pikachu returned to his shoulder and he looked over to see Team Rocket. "I guess everyone's still around, then?"

"And more!" James called out from his bench in the courtyard. "Team Rocket's still around and then there's that professor man."

"You mean Kukui's here?" Ash asked instantly. Jessie sighed loudly, Wobbuffet doing so with her.

"Yeah, that guy, with his wife, too!" she snapped out. "James, why can't I find myself a husband as charming as that guy? I mean, we steal Pokémon and he just grinned like it was nothing."

"Dat's cuz he was more interested in me," Meowth pointed out. "Besides, we did help da twoips by pullin' dem from da lab and all, and our whole mission of takin' out Team Skull's boss kinda went nowhere, so we need a second chance, ya dig?" Here, Meowth paused for just a second, tapping a claw to his chin before adding as an afterthought. "Oh, and just marry James. The two a ya will be much happier."

"You take that back, Meowth!"

"I'll pull out your whiskers!" The trio started to grapple with each other while Ash slid his eyes over to Serena. His honey blonde girlfriend was laughing as she shook her head. It made a smile come to Ash's face, as well, one that widened when he saw the three that were now approaching the courtyard. One of them beat him to the greetings.

"Ash is okay! Rotom is so glad! When Rotom read such bruising, Rotom was so very worried!" the Pokédex called out loudly, sounding like it was bawling. Ash was surprised to find it flying forward, right onto his chest. He winced.

"Good to see you, too, Rotom," Ash chuckled out. Then he looked to see Clemont and Bonnie standing there. The latter was watching Team Rocket brawling with each other, but Clemont was staring right at him. Just like with Serena, that feeling of overwhelming failure rested within them. The inventor stepped forward.

"I'm glad you're okay," he spoke.

"Same here," Ash said. Their trio didn't say anything, causing Bonnie and Hau to look at each other. They just watched one another, as though each had thoughts in their brain that they couldn't shake; thoughts that they had to deal with on their own. Eventually, when Team Rocket's bickering seemed to quiet down thanks to Crabrawler clamping on James' head, Clemont sighed.

"Come on, we're all waiting." With a jerk of his head, Clemont walked away from the courtyard once more. He had to have been coming to get them. Ash took one more look at Serena, both of them sharing the same concern over the state of each other. Then he returned his Pokémon, cradling their pokeballs to his chest, and set off after Clemont. Everyone followed.

"Who all is waiting?" Serena asked once they had caught up to the swiftly striding boy.

"Well, everyone who fought with us, mostly, and then Kukui and Burnet…Acerola and Hapu stopped by, too, I was told. They're gone now, though, along with the Akala captains. You two were out for about a day," Clemont explained, ticking everyone off on his fingers. Ash had to admit that most of them made sense, especially with how the Darkium-Z had arrived. It also screamed something else beyond a simple meeting to him: it screamed that they were meeting to discuss their own counter-strategy for whatever Lusamine had planned since she escaped into the Ultra Space with Guzma.

"And Lillie?"

"No one knows," Bonnie answered. She had her hands behind her head and her lips in a pout as she said so. "She locked herself in her room and pretty much refused to come out. Whenever anybody asks what she's doing, all she's said is 'reading'. Who wants to do all that?"

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Clemont said to his sister. "What went down with her mother can't have been easy. I know it's been hard on Gladion, as well."

Gladion…Ash thought to himself, the boy's actions still leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. However, he couldn't bring himself to hate the boy. Especially so when they reached a large pair of double doors and pushed them open, the first visible thing being Gladion, himself. Not that he was alone in the room.

Most of the room was filled with people sitting in chairs around an ovular table. As per Clemont's words, he did see quite the amalgamation of people there. At the head of the table was Gladion, seated next to Wicke. On either side of them were Lionel and Aidan, while Squishy and Bluey rested in the center of the table in their core forms. Ash raked his gaze along the table, noticing Kahili there with her legs crossed, sitting across from Cynthia and Lance. Rounding it all out were Kukui and Burnet, seated next to each other while the latter had notes spread out across the table. Ash had to admit, as he took a seat, he was surprised that Miss Akela wasn't there, considering her closeness with Kukui and, he supposed…Guzma…

"Well, it would seem that we're all here," Lionel spoke once everyone was sitting down (though Greninja was leaning against the nearby wall). Ash had nothing to say, and for the moment decided to just listen, scratching behind Pikachu's ears. His thoughts were quickly being confirmed, anyhow. Silence hung, no one sure how to start until Lionel cleared his throat. "Clemont's informed us of what occurred in the labs below the Foundation, and in the manor."

"It's quite the issue," Lance breathed out, bristling his hair with a sense of annoyance. "When I infiltrated the Foundation, I didn't expect this."

"I don't think anyone could have suspected it that wasn't involved with it in the first place," Cynthia made sure to share. Ash hung his head, but his eyes shifted to Gladion. For the first time, he realized that the boy had changed clothing, now wearing dress pants and a collared shirt, his earrings removed. Null was nowhere to be seen as yet, either. "The League has grown rather concerned, if I'm honest."

"I don't blame 'em," Kukui agreed. Aidan was nodding his head somewhere down the table. Ash glanced to his side and saw Kahili frowning, her mouth etching itself thinner with every passing second. She did take the moment to smile at Ash, though. "Ugh, can't believe it! And all around the time of the first Alola League!"

"There's no reason to cancel it just yet," Aidan spoke. All eyes shifted to the blond man. He let them all observe him, taking the moment to remove his glasses and clean them carefully. When he placed them back on his face, he began to talk once more. "Unlike the Kalos League, we have some definite advantages."

"He's right," Lionel said, propping his head on his hand. "We know something's coming, and we know, roughly, what it entails. And there's no need to worry of the scandal involved with the Aether Foundation and Team Skull, not with people on the inside to mitigate the damage."

"There's no reason to worry about those Skull bozos at all!" Jessie snapped. The Champions in the room all turned to look at her, and Team Rocket recoiled from it, almost flinching. Once they recovered, though, the trio returned to their usual sense of bravado.

"Jessie's right! When we made our quick reconnaissance on Po Town, there was no trace of them anywhere!" James agreed. Kahili's frown grew even bigger now.

"Of course they went to ground," she spat. "The only question is where they've gone to ground to at this point."

"Does it matter?" Lance questioned, folding his arms across himself. "We keep an eye out for them regardless. For now, we'll employ ARC and a major construction company in the region to start patching that town up. And when they start making moves again, we'll know that Lusamine's plans are about to come to fruition."

"About that," Burnet spoke up. Ash felt like he was in some sort of multi-sided ping-pong match with how much his attention was shifting from one person to the next. "I might have an idea about these sorts of things. After the events here and the portals opening up over Alola and the world, I was able to finalize some research regarding the Ultra Space. Keep in mind that some of it is still conjecture, but the one that I'm absolutely sure on is the most important piece of information of all."

"Fire away, honey," Kukui grinned out, slinging an arm around his wife's shoulder. Ash was glad he could find the humor in all this, since it certainly lifted his own spirits, if only by a little. Burnet shuffled her papers around and then looked up.

"Okay, so the Ultra Space has been confirmed to be a blending of realities, right?" she began. Clemont nodded next to Ash, confirming this fact. The raven-haired trainer kept his gaze on Kukui's wife, hanging on her every word regarding the Ultra Space. "Well, that, combined with the assault on Heahea, led me to think of something important: perhaps that blending of realities allows one to see things. In particular, perhaps from where she is, Lusamine can focus her gaze on someone or something. Nihilego finding Nebby so quickly in Heahea is proof of that."

"In other words, she could know whatever it is we're planning to stop her," Aidan sighed out, rubbing at his temples this time. "Assuming she hasn't already guessed at it."

"True, however, I believe she can only look at a single place or thing, not multiple, and it may not even be a constant thing she'd have access to. Therein lies the advantage," Burnet pointed out. Ash now folded his arms. It was a good idea that Burnet presented, and it went hand in hand with his own churning thoughts, alongside the next words that she spoke. "We also hold the advantage of knowing that there is something beyond the wormhole, and that the certified way of destroying it is by using Mega Evolution or Z-Moves…or perhaps just something comparable in power."

"Diantha's well informed us of that," Cynthia agreed, her fingers now drumming against the table. "She's making plans from her end, just as Gary and Steven are near the Battle Tree now, studying ways to get into the Altar of the Sunne and the legends surrounding it. Gary has a theory, but he would need some expert analysis machines to determine…"

"I could…probably help with that…maybe…" Clemont said, though he didn't sound quite so sure. Ash breathed out, his exhalation ruffling Pikachu's fur.

"There's more than that, though, of course," Kahili spoke. This prompted Burnet to nod.

"Well, the biggest piece of conjecture I have is how tied in to the Ultra Space Nebby is," she explained. "Whatever Lusamine did to it took its toll on the poor thing and has seemingly rendered its power inert. Whether it will come back to him over time, or if it needs an alternate way for us to reach the Ultra Space, I can't be clear, but if we manage to restore Nebby to his true form, we stand a chance of getting into the Ultra Space itself and striking back! Just a theory, of course, but it very well may work!"

"What are you suggesting?" Lionel asked, grinning down the table at the professor. He seemed to already be fond of the idea, one which made Aidan look and sound exasperated. Kukui was the one to answer for his wife, the married couple grinning.

"She's suggesting we make a preemptive strike on the Ultra Space before the Day of Stars!" he said, slamming his hand against the table. Ash blinked, finding the name very familiar. Not that he was the one to ask.

"Day of Stars? What's that?" Hau questioned, throwing his hands behind his head. Burnet stopped fiddling with her papers and answered, proving this was the one aspect that she was most confident about.

"Six years ago, the stars nearly aligned, and the portal to the Ultra Space opened, causing darkness, Nebby, and presumably Nihilego to escape from it," she said, tapping at her papers. "Now, the stars will be aligning, like a blending of planets, worlds, universes or realities. We know that Nebby has gotten power from celestial energies, and given how everything has been monitored, the wormholes will open again on the Day of Stars, when they align, no matter what! Lusamine's experiments and recent actions made sure they'd be stable enough to."

"So, you're proposing that we open a way into the Ultra Space ourselves before they can make an army come forth?" Lance questioned. Burnet nodded.

"It's a try, at least," Kukui said. "Even if we fail, working to prepare ourselves for that preemptive strike would get us more than ready to launch an assault on the Ultra Space and destroy whatever it is that's inside of it which is threatening our world. Whether it's just these Ultra Beasts, or some other manner of being splitting the portals wide is unimportant. We let it go on and they'll devour our world."

Silence followed his statement, and Ash drew himself into his thoughts, holding Pikachu close. It was a lot to take in, though the objective was clear cut and simple, even if all the parts that connected to it were not. Even Serena looked slightly concerned. Ash began to mull over things in his brain, flashing back to all his battles. Lionel was the first one to speak before he had formed a conclusion.

"Yes…a preemptive strike perhaps would be best. And your theory is sound, given Chi's own observations regarding the Day of Stars, from Hokulani," the man spoke. He tapped at his chin a bit and then chuckled. "To think Michael had planned this far ahead in case he failed…remarkable…"

"Michael…" Serena breathed from next to Ash. He looked to her, and her eyes appeared to be shimmering with a thought, one that he wanted to reach out and grasp, but had no opportunity to.

"Well, I approve of it," Lionel concluded. He turned to look insistently at both Lance and Cynthia, prompting the two of them to accept it with a nod. Kukui slapped the table and began speaking exuberantly.

"Great! Then all we have to do, if Burnet's records and the other research is sound, is get to the Altar of the Sunne, open a way in and defeat Lusamine, Guzma and whatever else is in there before the Day of Stars. If not, then the Hope Leilani and the Lanakila Conference are set to end just as the Day of Stars is set anyway, which would keep Lusamine's attention fixed on us there, blind to everything else. Of course, Akela is doing all she can to promote them to keep the general public's eye off of this. In their mind, the earlier invasion was a minor fluke that we don't intend to repeat." Kukui sounded immensely confident, but Ash knew there was one major stumbling block put in their place.

"It's not enough," he spoke clearly. For the first time, everyone looked at him, especially so when he happened to stand. "We can do all the searching we want, but…they're too strong."

"What are you saying, twerp?" Jessie and James cried out at the same time, causing Meowth to slap them both. Ash heaved a long sigh, his eyes traveling along to Gladion, the boy still having not spoken. They locked gazes, and both shared the same message.

"I'm saying that we got beaten really badly. Guzma and Lusamine are stronger than we realize, and inside of the Ultra Space, who knows what could happen; they could be even stronger," he told them. It was a brutally honest statement, one that made Clemont hang his head. Nevertheless, it was a truth they were all forced to accept. "As we are now…I don't think there's any way we can win."

"I agree," Serena said with immense clarity. "We lost, and no amount of finding artifacts or doing research will help that. Even those beasts proved a challenge, and there might be a lot more than we could ever imagine, regardless of Guzma and Lusamine's strengths. I mean, I'm not saying that we shouldn't arm ourselves with information. Goodness knows I think there's someone who could have just as much information as Burnet…maybe even…Michael…"

"Who?" Ash asked, but Serena's final comments and his questions went largely unnoticed by the sound of the door suddenly opening.

"I agree, too!" said the bright voice of whoever was entering the room. Light streamed in through the doors, showcasing the beautifully blooming courtyard behind the figure, who was still cloaked in shadow from the large amount of light that was there. Serena stood, as did Gladion, while the figure walked forward. "We have to get a lot stronger! No, more than that! We have to activate our own Z-Powered Form!"

The doors closed, and Ash could finally see who had appeared.

It was Lillie, only different. Gone was the big, floppy hat and the white dress. In its place was a white skirt that reached down to her mid-thighs. On her upper half was a hoodie, blue drawstrings hanging down over her chest. Ash quickly recognized the outfit as the one that Serena had bought for her so long ago in Heahea, before all the craziness began. Traveling upwards, Ash saw that Lillie's hair was no longer braided, instead tied back into a ponytail with a pink ribbon, accentuated with a backpack on her shoulders instead of her big drum bag. In her arms were a book, and what looked like Nebby, silent and unmoving.

The biggest change of all, however, was her bright smile.

"Wow, Lillie! You look great!" Hau cheered. Lillie smiled at him, a blush dusting her cheeks. Said action caused Hau to blush as well, rubbing at his nose while Bonnie ribbed him. Lillie stepped further in the room and placed the book down with a slam from the weight, flicking it open to a certain page. Then she slid it across to the center of the table.

"I think there's a way to save Nebby and access the Ultra Space at the same time. At the very least, it's something I want to try." Lillie's voice was hyper-confident, and she stared across the table at her own brother insistently. Ash looked between the two siblings and finally settled on Gladion when the boy began to chuckle. Lionel, however, was looking at the book.

"Sun and Moon Flutes, huh?" he asked. "Used in ancient times to pay homage to…the beast of the sun and the beast of the moon. When played with the Champion's Song, it opened up to a world of new possibilities, one that they could go to together. Surprised we weren't able to find something like this, but…"

"Exactly," Lillie said, nodding her head. Her pony tail flopped up and down and Ash put his gaze squarely back on to her. She was so confident, like she was breathing again. It inspired hope inside of Ash. "They say 'beasts'. Why not Pokémon? Because they're from the Ultra Space. It's the only answer that makes sense!"

"It sounds like a stretch," Aidan spoke harshly. Kahili uncrossed her legs and leaned across, finally grinning once more.

"Maybe a stretch is what we need," she said simply. Her finger traveled over to the book and tapped its surface. "I've heard of this Moon Flute, and it wouldn't be hard to find from Poni Island given the information passed down to we three in pieces, but the Sun Flute…"

Leave that to us, Squishy finally spoke from his point on the table. We shall find it…though we would require Greninja's help again, Ash. He would be able to pick up on that sort of energy in one of the spots we had found in our search, now that we know what we are looking for.

"That's fine with me, if it is with him," Ash said. Not that he needed to say anything; he could tell that Greninja was perfectly okay with it, especially if it meant another deciding face-off with Guzma. That was the point of concern that Ash had, though.

"If we bring the flutes together and play the Champion's Song, then I believe…well, I believe we can pull the other Cosmog from out of the rift. That might be the only way to get us into the Ultra Space safely, as well as restore Nebby at the same time!" Lillie said, now pumping her fists excitedly. A bright light popped out of her belt and Komala appeared, yawning with agreement alongside his trainer. "To do that, though…I need to visit Tapu Fini!"

"Tapu Fini? Good luck with that," Kahili barked out a little. "That fickle deity hasn't deigned an audience with anyone in fifty years, you know. Goodness knows why you'd want to."

"No, Lillie's idea is a good one," Kukui interrupted. He, too, was now standing, grinning at his former assistant. "She's as smart as they come, and well-read. If she thinks this will work, then it'll work. Besides, I'm sure we'd need as many of the Tapu's Champions to help out as we can, right? Especially if it's all tied into this."

"Great! Then let's all go our own way!" Ash cried, slamming his hand down on the table. Serena gasped in surprise and looked to him. However, he just grinned at all of them. "Guys, we couldn't win this time, but next time we won't be able to get another chance, especially when the Day of Stars hits. If what Burnet said is true, then everyone doing the same thing would only make Lusamine know what we're up to. So…Kahili, I want you to train me!"

"Uh, say what now?" Kahili said, her eyes blinking rapidly at the request. Ash fully turned to face the woman, grinning down at her.

"You're an Island Champion, and I saw the way you handled fighting both Guzma and Plumeria. I think there's a lot I can learn from you to get stronger with my Pokémon and with myself, physically. I can't do it all on my own!" Kahili continued blinking, but eventually, a grin stretched her face.

"All right, you'd make a good sparring partner. I have the perfect place for it, too, even if it'll be the training session from hell," the blue-haired woman said, the grin turning into a smirk. Ash felt his blood race from that, wanting to get started right away with all of the proceedings.

"I'm fine with that!"

"Then I guess I'll go my own way, as well," Serena expressed. Clemont whipped his gaze to her while Ash slowly turned to look at his girlfriend. "Actually, Lillie, if you wouldn't mind, I'll go with you to Tapu Fini. After we've done that, I think I'll try to find somebody. I have no idea if they're in the region, but if he's anything like hers, then I think he will be. Though that's more of a longshot than any other theory, but some searching should reveal more."

"Uh…who, Serena?" Bonnie asked innocently. She didn't answer straightaway, waiting for Lillie to nod her head in acceptance and with a bright smile. The two traveling together seemed like a nice idea to Ash.

"My father." Ash was surprised to hear it, and almost wanted to protest against it. However, the more he thought about it, the more that he realized it made complete and total sense. Michael was the perpetrator behind most of the events here, so it made sense that his counterpart could potentially help to defend against it. He nodded at her.

"Well, that certainly makes things different," Clemont sighed out. He seemed contemplative for a moment, and Ash could tell his mind was running through a million different possibilities all at once. "Champion Cynthia, you said Gary is researching by the…Battle Tree, was it? That's a battle facility, right?"

"It is," Cynthia answered curtly. Clemont nodded, and a soft smile graced his face.

"If you wouldn't mind, then, I'd like to help out as much as I can, and get stronger battling through the Battle Tree," Clemont decided, nodding his head towards the Champion. Hau suddenly jumped up, slinging an arm around Clemont without warning.

"Ooh, me too! Me, too!" he called out. "I mean, I've still got the trials on Poni Island anyway, so this is a perfect opportunity. I don't even need to go back to Ula'ula since Acerola said the Kahuna there considered helpin' out here as my Grand Trial, too! Said it was tougher than any battle he would give me, apparently. So, you don't mind, do you, Clemont?"

"The more the better," Clemont agreed, the boys laughing together.

"Then Rotom will join as well! A battle fest like the Battle Tree will get Rotom's circuits pumping and allow Rotom to observe many more Pokémon!" Cynthia surveyed them all before letting off a light giggle that showed she was acquiescing to their request.

"Then I'll go with Squishy and Greninja," Bonnie agreed. Clemont looked like he wanted to say something, or scold her, but he did none of those things. Like in Malie City, it was a moment of them realizing they each had to go their own way, something Dedenne agreed with loudly.

"Guess I'll tag along as the adult supervision," Lionel told her with a grin. Bonnie really didn't seem to mind that. That only left two different groups to decide on what they wanted to do, and Ash looked to Team Rocket first. Jessie sighed out loudly.

"You know what, we'll just go with the twerpette," she said. Serena stepped back in surprise while Jessie started to grin. "Oh, it's not all that surprising, being rivals and all. I think we'd work well together on the same side, and sometimes you need some extra manpower."

"Hear hear," James cheered, pumping his fist. Jessie wasn't finished yet either.

"Besides, you need cultured, sophisticated and intelligent women to be the face of this group on a mission…quest…thing…"

"Yer rulin' yaself out, Jess," Meowth said, but he seemed to have no problem with the notion. Neither did the rest of their group, Wobbuffet saluting them all strongly. That particularly strange wrench settled, Ash looked to Gladion, the boy having still been silent next to Wicke.

"And Gladion? What about you?" Ash asked of him, his speech still rather terse with the boy. Said boy didn't answer, staring down at his new clothes (and looking somewhat uncomfortable in them). Eventually, though, he looked up.

"I'm going to rebuild the Aether Foundation," he said sharply. It wasn't a surprising status in slightest. "I don't want the path my father started on to lose all the good will that it had because of my mother's actions. I've already decided to shut down Faba's science program, due to his work and death. We'll find a safer, and better, way to enhance the lives of people and Pokémon. If I have some downtime, I'll finish the trials, too. Sort of like…repentance, for everything I caused here. I…I'm going to try and work together with everyone in order to make it possible, so we can all be ready…as a…team…"

"We'll provide support," Wicke assured them, herself speaking for the first time. "We can have ferries ready to go in a little under an hour for your destinations, and with a support force like the Aether employees, those that didn't work directly for Madam Lusamine, I am sure we'll be able to actively work against ruffians like Team Skull again."

"Thank you, Miss Wicke," Lillie said, beaming at the woman. The older woman seemed taken aback, but smiled in return. The girl's green eyes then slid over to Ash, and he could see Lillie's beliefs and defiance, along with a promise that she seemed to share with Gladion regarding their mother. Whatever their promise was, he didn't know, but seeing her smiling was enough.

"I suppose ARC will lend its services to help rebuild," Aidan said, adjusting his glasses sharply. "Alpha Squad knows quite the bit about rebuilding organizations. With Chi and Hokulani, we can send Theta to Po Town and bring Tau in here…We have the League's blessing for this, yes?"

"Blessing? I'll outright help you," Lance said, throwing his arms in the air. "Right now, we don't want another scandal like Lysandre Labs to happen."

"I'm sure Akela will smooth over any of the public's worries about that," Kukui told them with a smile. "She's smooth, and until everything's settled, we don't want a panic. Informing the Kahunas and captains, though, I'll keep on top of it. Still some final preparations for the League to be done, but that might distract Lusamine a little."

"All right, then!" Ash proclaimed, raising his foot and bringing it slamming on to his seat before he held a lone finger forward. "One month! We all go our own ways, and meet back here in one month!"

"Sounds like a plan, cousin! Works out perfectly to have some time for the strike before the Hope Leilani," Kukui grinned out. His approval meant everything, uniting everyone around the table with their intended goal. To all this, Wicke stood.

"Well, then, I'll have the ships prepared. Please meet down at the docks when you're all ready to depart." Wicke's words gave it a sense of finality to the decision. Ash grinned, looking down at Pikachu, who pumped his fist in agreement. They were ready.

The hour that followed was filled with frantic movement, gathering everything up for all of their simultaneous departures. Lillie ended up being the most enthusiastic, taking her book with her and holding onto Nebby's form. She turned out to be the first one waiting down by the docks the moment that Ash arrived, backpack on his shoulders and Pikachu on his head. She genuinely looked happy and determined, like a whole new person with the shadow that was her mother gone. Of course, Ash knew that the shadow still lingered, but Lillie was moving on in spite of it.

"Well, Rotom will not miss Bonnie one bit!" Rotom was saying as the group that was Clemont's arrived down at the docks. The inventor looked exasperated while Hau simply grinned. Bonnie was facing away from the Pokédex with her arms folded.

"Well, Bonnie won't miss Rotom one bit!" she snapped out defiantly. There was all of three seconds before she then added, "So just be safe."

"Bonnie, too," Rotom happened to whisper. Clemont shook his head and turned to face his sister while Lionel was approaching calmly, Squishy and Bluey resting on his shoulders.

"Now Bonnie, take good care of Dedenne and Squishy while you're out there, and make sure you eat properly, and train well and…" Clemont breathed in before launching himself into a hug around his sister. She quickly returned it. "Have a good time and be safe."

"You, too, big brother."

"Don't worry, Clemont, I'll look after her. Besides, Greninja will be with me," Lionel chuckled out, pointing to Ash's partner. The raven-haired trainer looked over to him, locking eyes with Greninja. They both nodded, needing no words to say their temporary farewell. More voices came to the docks, this time in the form of Kukui, Kahili and Cynthia.

"The Battle Tree is on the other side from where Tapu Fini and the Seafolk Village is located, so you'll definitely want separate ferries," Kahili was informing Cynthia, who was nodding. From behind them came Serena and Team Rocket, along with a silent Gladion.

Ash still wasn't sure what to say to the boy, or if there was anything to say at all. He must have felt the same, considering that he stopped upon arrival and they looked at each other. He couldn't say that they had reconnected in any way, but in Gladion's eyes, at least, there was a promise: a promise to meet once more atop Mount Lanakila and settle everything between them there. Until then, he'd be working hard at fixing his own damage, just like Ash. That was enough. Lillie walked forward.

"Brother," she said, a blossoming smile on her face. He did a double take, clearly still not used to seeing her in such different clothing. "Do what you can, okay?"

"Lillie…I…" his words sounded tortured, something that he wanted to say unable to get out. Lillie, however, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, brother and sister reunited at long last. Gladion could finally whisper his words. "I'm so sorry…so, so sorry…For leaving you to her, and…and…"

"It's okay," Lillie spoke back to him. He almost looked like he wanted to cry, despite how unlike him it was, especially when Lillie drew back. "I forgive you. But next time, let's work together instead of on your own."

"Y-yeah," Gladion choked out. He held a fist out, and Lillie met it. "Count on it."

"So, looks like we're pretty much set to go," Kukui chuckled out, clapping a sudden hand on Ash and Serena's shoulders. Before Ash looked at the man, he gazed over to Clemont, who nodded. Ash returned the nod, agreeing with Clemont's intention: they'd grow stronger, working in any way they could to support one another by leaving their insecurities behind. "The Day of Stars is in about a month and a half, or something like that, with the Hope Leilani and League before then. Hope you guys will make it for that, considering we'll meet back here in a month."

"Speaking of," Serena noted. Ash turned his gaze to her, seeing Hau walk up to Lillie and Gladion. The girl blushed a little, but then laughed brightly when Hau slung his arm around Gladion. "I want you to deliver a message to Miss Akela for me, professor."

"Oh?" the professor asked, quirking an eyebrow. Serena hitched her bag and smiled.

"Tell her that I've almost figured out what she meant," Ash's girlfriend said with a smile. "I know I can't make everyone smile, not on my own at least, and maybe it's impossible when there are people like Lusamine around, but that I'll work out a way, and I'll show it to her by the Hope Leilani! That's my promise for the next month!"

"Gotcha, cousin! I'm sure you'll be real hard at work, too, won't you, Ash, Pikachu?"

"You bet! I'm sure Kahili will teach us lots of things we've never seen before," Ash insisted, clenching his fists while Pikachu mimicked him. He didn't just mean about Pokémon training, either…that wouldn't be enough to defeat Guzma.

"Just make sure you're ready! It's like a place of adventure all on its own that'll wear you to the bone, if I don't first!" Kahili called, walking past to move towards and board the ferry that would take them to their destination, some place called Ten Carat Hill from what the driver was saying. Kukui laughed, walking off a little to say there was none better, and Ash turned to look at Serena when Lillie once more approached, holding Nebby. Ash now shifted down to him, his eyes closed as his little body was in a golden binding.

"Both of you, be safe out there. And Team Rocket, no funny business!" Ash snapped to them. The indignant trio stopped on their way on to their boat and Jessie looked ready to snap at him, but Wobbuffet kept pushing her right along. "Look after her, Lillie."

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Serena pouted, though it was all in good fun, based on her expression. The three looked at each other before Serena walked forward and touched his face. Lillie looked a little embarrassed, glancing away towards Hau when Serena's lips met his own. He fell into it, everything else vanishing around them for a moment. It was just he and Serena, together. A promise of farewell. But a promise of return. And maybe a promise of something more when they reunited. "I hope you'll find your answer."

"You, too," Ash said, once she'd drawn back and given him the chance to breathe. "And Lillie, we're always there for you."

"I know," Lillie said. "After all, it's because of the two of you that I'm here. Because Ash fought for me, and because Serena made me smile. Plus, seeing you slap Keoni really made me realize that I couldn't just sit around and take all my mother's abuse. I think that's why I went with her…though it was so much harder to stand up to her than I realized." She added a nervous giggle to that last statement.

"I made you smile?" Serena asked. Lillie laughed and nodded, before moving to hook her arms with a grin. Ash had his own, looking to Pikachu, who returned it. Something in Serena's eyes told him that she'd be okay; that maybe she'd found her answer in the midst of whatever despair Lusamine had inflicted.

He couldn't say he had found his own, but if Serena and Lillie could, then he knew he'd be able to as well. First, he and his Pokémon just had to grow stronger in mind and spirit.

"Now, let's go, Serena! Off on another adventure to Tapu Fini! We'll find a way to restore Nebby for sure!"

"Yeah!" Serena cried. With that, the two girls made their way towards their own boat. Ash watched them go as Bonnie and Hau ran up, the little girl hugging both while Hau planted a kiss on Lillie's cheek, making her go positively red. Ash smiled at Bonnie, who didn't move to hug him, but brought her fists to her chest in a promise of keeping Greninja safe. Finally, before Ash walked to the boat, he once more looked at Gladion and nodded.

One month.

Ash and Pikachu grinned, ready for their next adventure, and ran to the boat, jumping next to Kahili. In moments, the boats began to move out, running parallel to one another, keeping all of them connected. As one, they raised their fists to the air, as if grasping towards the sun that was becoming visible while they pulled out of the harbor, holding on to that promise between each other.

"You're sure about this, then?" Kahili asked as the boat finally started to pull away from his friends. Ash just smiled, finally gripping his Darkium-Z and orb in acceptance of what Nanu had intended them to mean and placing them where they belonged on his Z-Ring and amulet. Pikachu, meanwhile, responded as he took off his bandages, the cloth fluttering in the wind.

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Of course! It'll be difficult and different, being apart for so long, but this is something we all need to do. I don't know if it'll solve everything," Ash said, "but it's worth a try. That's how I know I'll be worthy of every trial and Grand Trial I've completed so far."

Kahili smirked and leaned back. Ash turned away, watching the boats with all his friends glide in opposite directions. Inside, he was still uncertain, still drowning in those negative emotions and questions, but he wouldn't let that stop him. There was a world at stake. He could deal with answering them once he resumed his trials. He breathed in.

Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master? What is a Pokémon Master?

"I don't know," he finally answered, Pikachu's ears twitching. "I'll figure it out, though…somewhere along the way. Then we'll meet again, Guzma, and finish this."

Keeping his hand towards the sun, Ash grinned. The rest was up to them.

"One month! Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pikapi, Pikachu!"

And they sailed off unto the sun.

"What a beautiful place…is it not, Guzma?" Lusamine's voice seemed to both echo and die inside the swirling space. Behind her floated Nihilego, swaying back and forth in an eerie fashion. Yet Lusamine didn't concern herself with that beautiful creature. She barely even spared the man next to her a look.

"Kinda weird to me, President Lusamine," he said. His hand reached out to touch the wall, that shifting substance, and he recoiled. "Damn…what is this place?"

"Simply a blending of realities," Lusamine spoke. She saw a nearby rock manifesting itself within the space. Images flashed by her as she proceeded to walk towards it. Those of her husband, her 'children', those useless things. "However, I do believe that there's one more reality that needs to be collected before we can all be free."

"Ya mean…?" Guzma asked. Lusamine flicked her hair outward, seating herself upon the rock as her lips twitched upwards into a rather Cheshire grin. Guzma quickly mirrored it. "That'll be fun, right?"

"I'm sure it will. No doubt they're all scrambling at this point," she told him. Her hand waved in front of her, touching to the wall however briefly. Blossoming in front of her was her "daughter" and that girl, the one that had turned her once beautiful flower into something so ugly. They were smiling and laughing on a boat, it seemed. "I look forward to it, though, seeing how they'll all struggle against us on the Day of Stars. It will be most amusing. Ah ha! Ah ha ha! Ahahahahahahaha!"

"I'll be lookin' forward to that fight myself," Guzma cackled out, slamming a fist into his palm. "We'll see who the real nothin' is then, and I can go all out, just before my own dream is reality."

"Of course; you're chosen, after all," Lusamine smirked out. She leaned to the side, tilting her head with her vindictive smirk. Shadow and smoke, an eclipse of prismatic light bubbled up behind her as she chuckled. "Oh, I know. It will be very soon, though…very soon and we'll all be free of that wretched world.

"Well, in the meantime, I hope they continue to take good care of her. No doubt after what happened, they'll grow stronger and stronger. After all, we need them to keep it safe until it's time. Right, my sweet?" She quickly received her answer, and her smirk turned into maddening laughter that echoed around the empty space. "Yes, Lillie, Serena…come and try to stop me. I'll let this space devour you, and all of your dreams.

"For the Day of Stars, and your demise, is so very near."

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: And so, we've reached the end of Love in the Time of Trials. I'd like to think I have you all going "No! You can't end there! I need Tenacity NOW!" Though I'd probably be lying to myself. Either way, this chapter was really there to set up for the one thing I really wanted: a time skip. That's right, the next story will pick up after that month has expired. The reasoning for it is that there's a lot of preparation for our heroes to do, but I don't want to show all of it because how boring would that be? Granting, there's still some exciting stuff, and I think I presented everything here in a logical manner.

The scenes at the opening with Alain, Team Nova, and then Hala were, of course, meant to show how large this threat will be, while establishing that…maybe there'll be some surprises in the final book. On top of that was with Ash and Hau getting the proof of clearing the Grand Trial: exposing the darkness in Alola was what Nanu wanted, so they passed. Just as well, I had to establish the underlying message that has always been there in the Ancienverse: hope in the midst of despair. Ash, Serena and Clemont are nearly broken, but each of them has found their shred of hope to cling to for the moment: Clemont will put his mind and training to good use, Serena has seen that she can make somebody smile, and Ash believes he'll find his answers somewhere along the way.

And this, my friends, is the crux of it which will be resolved in Love in the Time of Tenacity dropping in 1 week and 5 days on August 8th! Yeah, sorry, but like last time, I need a recharge. In the meantime, you can enjoy this wonderful summary! And don't forget to check for updates once a day for preview material on my Twitter: EpicocityFanfic!

Summary: Ancienverse Sequel Finale. A month has passed. The Day of Stars approaches, and under the encroaching threat looming over Alola, Ash and all of his friends begin to make their moves. As the curtain begins to close on their newest conflict, each of them is faced with a challenge and choice more personal than before: hope…or despair.

With all of that out of the way, it's time for my rush of gratitude to everyone that has stuck with me so far: Frontier24 and Werejaguar of Halloween Town for favoriting; blizzardblaze174 for following; and a big thanks to Leaflame, Gehatik, Nina The Fangirl, PokeGirlPG21, Alexandria Prime, Nexxus176, StacheKing, RWBYSanctum, thatsmybusiness43, Nega Mewtwo and 1 guest for reviewing. On top of that, I need to thank people there from the beginning such as AdvancedAlto (who in some way, this wouldn't be possible without), those who give me great reviews even if needing to catch up such as ChE clarinetist, aliensinnoh, potat lasaro, AmourshippingCanon, Cottonmouth25, The Wind God of the Leaf, jlogan2748, David Wilsberg and others who have been around like Amourshiper35, FantasyLover88, ultimateCCC, Tenzalucard123 and Omegaz. Thank you all, and I hope you continue to the final book! There is but a single story left now, and it's what everything has been building up to. I hope that it delivers in every way possible! So, until that next time, I hope that all of you will Review and, as always, now and forever,

Dare to Be Silly,

Epicocity