Alola! One more time! The time has finally arrived, the one you've (hopefully) been waiting for: that's right, Love in the Time of Tenacity is finally here! As promised, this is the final book of the Alola Trilogy, and one of my final humongous entries into the Ancienverse considering the scope of the trilogy. Ah, why am I talking about this here? We should get into it! When last we left the heroes in Trials they were pretty beaten and split off for a month to do their own things before the Day of Stars was to fall. How will all this conclude? It's finally time to dive into it and find out!

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T for violence and innuendo

Pairings: Amourshipping (for sure), some Laserblade, maybe Snowlilyshipping?

Cover by the very wonderful Captain Luky Greace! Once again, thank you for everything you've done!

DISCLAIMER: For the last time, I do not own Pokémon. But please, enjoy the story.

Love in the Time of Tenacity

Book Three of the Ancienverse Alola Trilogy

Chapter 1

A Reverie

Six Years Ago…

"Ladies and gentlemen," boomed the elderly voice of President Goodshow to the crowd at the reception, "it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you your newest Kalos Champion, Miss Diantha!"

Cameras flashed and popped loudly, the crowd rising in a cheer. Diantha raised her hand, waving at the crowd that had gathered for her rather illustrious ceremony. A smile was on her face, her nerves not budged in the slightest. This was certainly a bigger and grander event than something like a movie premiere, but she was more than used to the occasionally fanatical crowds at those red-carpet events, to the point that this was fairly simple. Behind her, as she walked forward to the vacated podium, were the members of the Elite Four that were under her, challenges in their eyes, especially from the one called Wikstrom. Also, there were various other Champions, including the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, and Hoenn Champion, Wallace.

"It gives me great pleasure to accept this lofty station," Diantha finally spoke, the moment she reached the podium. The various members of the press before her quieted down, though there were still a few camera flashes. "As both an actress and a Pokémon trainer, I have always sought to impart that kind of good nature that inspires others to follow in my footsteps, as I believe that is what a true Champion should be able to do at any time.

"To that end, I promise to serve you as your new Champion. To constantly hone my skills, to face my fellow Elite Four members in battle should they call for it, to oversee the Kalos League, and to welcome those winners who reach the stage of competing for the Champion's League. Furthermore, I will endeavor to keep the Kalos region safe from all threats that I can, either by myself, or by working with fellow trainers, such as the other Champions, to do so. That is my promise as your new Champion!"

Diantha's words were met with roaring approval. Of course, it was all simple rhetoric, really. Words that likely any other Champion had spoken at a press conference upon their own inauguration. Being prepared for any role in acting had led her to that very conclusion, studying the various conferences and summits that were available (not that there was very much, if she was honest with herself). Nevertheless, it seemed to have done the trick, and her own elevation to the status of Champion had been readily accepted. To that, she bowed and backed away to join the lofty group which she had now just become a part of.

"Nice speech," Wallace commented. Diantha nodded, but didn't feel like she had much to say. She was the newbie, the baby of this little group, though it didn't seem the Champions were all that close to one another in any case. From those regions that she knew were a part of the League, only two of the remaining four had actually bothered to attend. She'd been told Champion Lance was on business dealing with some special forces group, or perhaps surveilling a rising organization known as Team Blaster…or Blast Off…Something like that. Champion Alder simply hadn't shown.

"You certainly have an eye for politics," Cynthia chuckled to Diantha. The woman accepted the compliment graciously. "I could do without them, honestly."

"Wouldn't that be due to your fascination with ruins?" Wallace chortled, himself. "You and Steven are very similar; though he'd rather not even accept the responsibility of Champion at the present time. I don't look forward to the day he comes to battle me again."

"Steven Stone, you say?" Diantha asked. She was rather intrigued, having never met the man before, but heard many great things about him. Wallace nodded, and she was about to ask more when she felt her arm hooked by Goodshow.

"Come on, Champion Diantha, can't go through your inauguration ceremony without a little mingling," the president nudged her. Diantha smiled, agreeing, and she bid farewell to the Champions that were near to her. They said their own and returned to whatever conversation that they had been having, something about a wealthy businessman named Cyrus.

Diantha was truly surprised by how many important people there were to meet. Certainly, she had to meet with fans that attended her premieres, but those were usually alongside her fellow cast members. In this case, there was a whole slew of people here just for her. She spoke with the man who had commentated her battle with the previous Champion, said commentator's name being Kalas, she believed. Then there was a new up and coming professor that seemed to flirt with her alongside his rather bemused assistant, a young boy with black hair and a Charmander. On top of that, there were just various other people to the point things almost got exhausting.

She held herself well, however, until she and the president began making their way over to an open food table where two men were speaking amicably with one another. Goodshow started to talk to her as they made their way there. "I must admit, the turnout was better than expected. It's rare for a Champion to be crowned so close to another League Conference."

"The Indigo Conference, correct?" Diantha asked. To this, Goodshow nodded, confirming her thoughts. "I suppose Lance is rather busy with all that, then?"

"Not as busy as he is, but I suppose so," Goodshow laughed a little. He seemed to be sharing a little secret with himself, though it was only for a moment. "Truth be told, he almost lost his position a few months back. We had a strong trainer from another region challenge the Elite Four recently, but he only tied out against Agatha…I think…my memory isn't what it once was, ha ha."

"Don't say that, President Goodshow! We need you sharp as a tack for the future!" called one of the men near the table. Diantha finally turned her gaze to him and the other, much taller man. He was particularly striking in his white coat with a mane of orange hair that made him look like he was on fire. However, the man that had spoken was far more normal, honey blond hair upon his head with a goatee and a pair of glasses sitting upon his nose.

"You flatter me, Michael, but I'm sure the League would continue on without me," Goodshow laughed out as they pulled themselves to a stop near the men. "By this point I just carry the ceremonial torch and attend events like this. You've been the one pulling the weight since you were appointed Vice President."

"Oh, so you're the Michael I've heard so much of?" Diantha asked. The man turned, surveying her for a moment before smiling.

"I must be," he answered with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Vice President Michael, though just Michael is fine, Champion."

"Pleasure to meet you, then," Diantha said, bowing and taking the man's hand. It was a very firm grip, perhaps a little too firm, but she felt she could get a slight sense of the man's devotion to his passions.

"Likewise; glad I had the opportunity to, given my hectic schedule. Ah, Lysandre, have you met…?"

"Not as yet," the man, Lysandre, spoke. Hearing the name sparked recognition in Diantha's brain and she smiled, shifting her hand over to the other man with kind eyes. "I'm Lysandre."

"Yes, head of Lysandre Labs, correct? Your work on developing the Holo Caster has been most fascinating. How is that project coming along?" Diantha asked. Lysandre seemed to grumble a little, looking not quite so happy as he ought to have regarding his pet project.

"We're still in a prototype phase, I'll admit," the man said, reaching up to stroke his beard. "Though I'm rather apprehensive about making it public, if I'm honest. Some people want it all and refuse to give back…"

"Ah, you'll find your answer. There are many ways to achieve true beauty in a world, am I right?" Michael said with an encouraging smirk, patting the large man on the back. Lysandre nodded, seemingly finding the words emboldening. After another pat, the two men seemed to consider their conversation finished, prompting Lysandre to give a bow to Diantha and walk away, practically running into the young boy that was Sycamore's assistant. He appeared to take a moment to apologize to him, though Diantha didn't linger on that interaction for long.

"So, you're rather busy planning the Indigo League?" Diantha chose to ask of the vice president. Goodshow was suddenly called away, uttering a very hasty goodbye as he departed, and it left the two alone for a moment while the young woman began to gather a plate of food. Michael watched her a minute, almost calculating, before he answered.

"Nah, that work is done. I just have to make sure it all goes smoothly. For some reason, some Kanto League officials got it in their head to make a rule this year where a sleeping Pokémon is considered unable to battle. Baffling," Michael remarked with a roll of his eyes. He raised his wrist at this moment and checked his watch, like he absolutely needed to know the time. Diantha tilted her head, observing the man. "Sorry, I just have a flight to be catching after all this."

"Oh? To where?" Diantha asked, taking some speared ham and chewing on it as she asked.

"Alola," was the answer. Diantha felt she'd heard of the region when it came to movie deals, but she never paid much attention to those sorts of things when it really came down to it. "Yeah, I have some business there. Mostly League related; Goodshow's been trying to get the Kahunas down there to cave into forming a League for years, but they're rather stubborn about their traditions."

"Can't hurt to try, though, I suppose," Diantha pointed out. Michael smiled a little, regarding her through his glasses before chortling a little under his breath.

"Yes, you're right. Who knows? Maybe there'll be some new Kahunas that could make different decisions." Diantha had nothing to say to that and continued eating for a brief moment as those in the reception mingled further. Michael seemed far off, contemplative, but soon righted himself with a light, humorous scoff. "Other than that, it's really just a case of visiting prominent figures for future League backing. The Aether Foundation, for one. They're small, but growing, and I hear they've had a shakeup in management recently that might be more benevolent towards our goals."

"Certainly, sounds like you have it all figured out," Diantha examined, finishing her food and placing her plate back on the table. "Quite the long game you have planned for the League, hm? You must have some time for breaks."

"Mm, I do," Michael answered, though Diantha wasn't entirely sure which of the two statements he was responding to. "I'm going to be returning home soon, actually. Someone I want to see…By now he must be…"

Michael trailed off here, and Diantha watched him. He seemed to be lost in thought, the corners of his lips turning upwards into a light little smirk. She figured that it must have been a pleasant memory for him, whoever he was thinking of at that time. Eventually, though, he seemed to move on from the thought, adjusting his glasses but slightly as they reflected in the light of the reception hall. "Everything all right?"

"Yes, just fine, just fine," Michael said, running some fingers through his hair. "Well, good to meet you Champion. I'm sure your services will be most inviting in the near future. Take care!" With that, he walked off with a wave, likely to catch his plane to Alola. Diantha wondered if, perhaps, the honey blond would make it that a new Champion from a whole new region would join their ranks, and she pondered on just how much work he seemed to do to the point that he rarely returned home. Passing it off with a miniscule shrug, Diantha moved once more towards the now unoccupied president, pushing Michael from her mind.

If only she had known then.

Present Day

"Diantha! Diantha!" The Kalos Champion stirred at the sound of the voice, calling through to her in the darkness of her closed eyelids. She turned over, her knee knocking against something at the voice, not wanting to awaken herself to its tones. Something pressed on her, and she felt her body moving. "Diantha! Wake up!"

"Mmm…" Diantha groaned, finally opening her eyes and looking up. Standing above her was Kathi Lee, her lips pursed as she looked down at her. The Kalos Champion stretched a little, realizing that she had fallen asleep in a wooden chair at a rather ornate desk. She barely even remembered coming in to her office the night before, that was how exhausted she was. "What time is it?"

"Early enough," Kathi commented tersely. Diantha sat up straight, noticing that she had slumped over sometime during her sleep, and her gaze traveled to the window. Sure enough, it seemed like the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon, creating a beautiful rainbow over the waterfalls. "Are you all right? You were tossing and turning."

"Oh, it was nothing…" she commented, still staring out the window. Once she'd had her fill, her eyes shifted to the stack of papers on her desk. Some of them were based in the logistics of the upcoming Alola League, given she was the only Champion left to do administrative work, while others dealt with other reports and research communiques. Of course, there were also other things, such as construction invoices and other supply orders. Nevertheless, Diantha muttered, "Just a dream. A memory, rather."

"Hmm, well…get your head out of the clouds, Diantha," the woman said, her voice snapping at the Champion. Diantha nodded, fully sitting up now with a light groan and collecting the papers that were strewn across the desk, putting them into neat little piles. "The Alola League is coming up, and it's a big event, especially with the Champions as the acting presidents of the League. Plus, you have a rather busy schedule to-"

"I'm well aware…" Diantha said, finally gathering the last of the papers. Right there on the top was the research that had sent a flurry of activity over the last few days, signed by Steven, Gary and Clemont of all people. Those three names were enough to make orders with certainty. It reminded her of why they were all here.

Michael…It was really no wonder she had dreamed of her first memory with the man that had gone on to betray the League. No, rather, he had always betrayed the League from the moment he had entered in to their organization with the purpose of toppling them or their way of life. Knowing now that his cold, cruel hand had extended beyond death and still held them…well, she could only imagine how Ash and Serena were feeling if she, herself, felt immense rage.

It made her think on the pair, or rather quartet, of vital trainers that had gone to Alola some time ago. While Clemont had seemed to be in contact with the League, he, himself, had only heard snippets of news about Serena and never mentioned Ash once over the past month. Never in her life had she thought their family would split up, especially with such a tragedy looming on the horizon, and certainly not for so long a time. She supposed it made sense, in the end, though: they were all hard at work to make sure that the tipping point went the way it was supposed to, so Michael couldn't have his posthumous victory.

She did wonder how they were doing, though.

"The, erm, 'delegates' from Alola have also arrived, Diantha," Kathi informed her a little more kindly than before. She figured that her own current state likely informed Kathi's own attitude. She nodded, knowing to just whom the woman was referring. Either way, it was completely fine by her.

"Thank you," the Champion spoke, tousling her hair a little. Looking towards the mirror that happened to sit in the room, she looked herself over and deemed herself well-looking enough to attend her meeting. "Kathi, could you check on…?"

"I'll take care of it and drop you a confirmation," the woman said proudly, puffing her chest out a bit. Diantha smiled and nodded before finally turning away. She skirted around the desk, taking just a few of the papers with her, and she opened the door to stride into the open hallway.

Some janitors in the hallway greeted her, which she returned, while others kept about their works. Diantha rubbed at her eyes, trying to get them wide open as she approached a flight of stairs and clopped down them loudly before turning into the hallway that led to the conference room. She paused a moment, catching glimpse of a door. As she breathed in, she remembered seeing the man that was now the object of her ire exiting from there, talking jovially with some exhaustion. At the time, she commiserated with him, but now…knowing what followed just a couple weeks later, she felt nothing but disdain.

The scourge that kept on giving.

Scoffing through her lips, Diantha continued along for the conference room and pushed open the double doors. It was mostly empty, allowing the sound of the crashing waterfall to be the most prominent in the room. Her eyes flicked over to the stained-glass window, remembering how it had once shattered, before her attention turned to the two scraping chairs and the figures standing up from them. She affixed a smile to her face.

"Kukui, Miss Akela, it's a pleasure," the Champion said, letting the door close behind her. She walked forward, extending her hand outwards. The tanned professor approached first and clasped her hand, shaking it cheerily.

"It feels like it's been a while," Kukui laughed out with a grin. Diantha couldn't return the laugh, a wry smile stretching her lips.

"Or it's just that much has happened," the woman responded. "I mean, that is the reason we've come to meet, is it not? To discuss the Hope Leilani, Lanakila Conference and the Day of Stars, no?"

"The 'Day of Stars'," Akela scoffed out. She reached forward to shake Diantha's hand, but otherwise sat right back down. "Hard to believe six years ago wasn't the end of it."

"Hard to believe six months ago wasn't the end of it, if I'm honest," Diantha said, sharing the violet-haired woman's sentiments. Akela didn't seem to want to be there, discussing this, either. Rather, she seemed angry about the thought of this "Day of Stars" that had been tracked and watched like a hawk. According to reports from Chi and the scientists at the Hokulani Observatory, nothing had changed in regards to the timing for the last month.

"It's deplorable," Akela spat, her gaze drawn to a random point on the wall. "As if the lives of those that were lost six years ago in the darkness that shrouded Alola weren't enough for it…"

"Now, now, ladies," Kukui said, looking a little mortified about being stuck in the situation, "aren't we here to make sure that nothing horrible happens this time around?"

"Right. Sorry, Kukui," Akela stated, and her eyes sharpened to show she was back in the present, rather than stuck in some point of the past. "So, we are all set for the timing of the Hope Leilani, are we? And our special surprise?"

"We've approved it," Diantha noted, tapping her papers absentmindedly. "Though I do have to wonder why you ask for it now. Nothing like this has ever been done before."

"Aw, come on, Champion Diantha!" Kukui said with a grin, seating himself and folding his hands behind his head as he leaned back. The man looked far too relaxed given the current situation. "It's the first Alola League! And held alongside the Hope Leilani, no less! No better opportunity to make it a celebration!" The Champion's eyebrow quirked upwards in amusement towards the man who eventually chortled under his breath.

"And it will keep Lusamine's eye exactly where we want it to be."

"Easier said than done. We'll need to really keep those making their moves silent to buy as much time as possible without incident," Akela stated. To this, Kukui nodded, his eyes sharp, showcasing the fact that while his attitude was lax, he, himself, was sharper than ever. "Even now, there's no guarantee the initial preemptive strike will do much. Lusamine may not be able to extend her foolish grasp from beyond the Ultra Space, but there's still Team Skull to worry about. They vanished after the battle at Aether a month ago, correct?"

"So the reports have said," Diantha stated. Her eyes flicked over to her stack of papers there, contemplating them carefully, along with the information on their pages. It made sense why Kukui and Akela would ask for what they had, and she supposed it was a rather smart idea. "Tell me, Miss Akela, how aware is the public of what went on at Aether? I understand you were involved in calming the panic that emerged from the Ultra Beasts in Alola."

"For now, they're ignorant, but I doubt that will hold on the Day of Stars," Akela noted, tapping her foot on the leg of the chair. "Using my station, I helped Miss Wicke and the young Gladion to craft a message that it was an experiment with the Aether Turbo gone horribly wrong for what happened at the Foundation. As for the beasts themselves…well, the Tapus dealt with that threat."

"We've been pushing the impending celebrations to distract them. Since nothing seems to have happened since that day, most of the public has quieted down," Kukui said easily. Diantha nodded; at least the League wasn't going to be forced to endure yet another scandal. Lysandre Labs had been a bad enough set of activities that they couldn't very well hush it all up with the public at the time. Aether could have been just as bad of an event, but that seemed to have had a good enough transition for the present. "I'm more worried right now about whether or not the preemptive strike we planned will actually succeed."

"Yes, I'm well aware," Diantha said, offering a light sigh. "As I understand it, the League's researchers on the ground have taken strides to get you all close to the 'Altar of the Sunne'?"

"Yes," was the simplistic answer. Diantha nodded; now it made sense, she felt, though there were still some things to deal with. She leaned forward.

"Professor Kukui, your wife has spent a great deal of time studying the Ultra Space, particularly in this last month, while our researchers have dealt with what is going on surrounding the altar there. There's obviously a connection between the two, but is Burnet aware of any other possible threat that could come from the Ultra Space?" Kukui regarded her a moment, dropping his lazy attitude as his hat slipped down his face just a little, darkening it.

"So far, I'm sure Burnet's research is solid: on the Day of Stars, when the stars all align as they nearly did six years ago, the unstable space holding things closed will break open, ushering in the Ultra Beasts as it did a month ago, only in greater numbers. The only way to stop it would be to go inside and stabilize the space with either the legendary Pokémon, or some other means, like sealing it or something," Kukui explained. Diantha pursed her lips; she already knew all of this information, so she'd no idea why Kukui was sharing this with her now, given it was all a part of their plan. "However, given what occurred in Heahea we have a far greater issue."

"Nihilego," Akela stated. Diantha looked to the papers; if she remembered right, Nihilego was the one that had emerged in Heahea and then again with Lusamine, seeming to have some connection to the crazed woman. "Heahea showcased its true deadly powers: a toxin that lowers inhibitions. The Pokémon that would normally be so peaceful were driven into a frenzy, and I don't mean the normal kind of stampeding frenzy…"

"It was far more organized," was the conclusion. Diantha's hand shifted, tapping her chin lightly; this was certainly an issue, though already a plan had been put in motion to counteract it, and she smiled beneath her hand. "The fear is that there may be more than this singular Nihilego. Already, the Ultra Beasts have shown remarkable capabilities on the level of legendary Pokémon: cutting buildings, pulverizing things, immense speed, absorbing electricity, burning things with a touch…it's frightening. And should Nihilego's toxins get into the head of our fighters, they may start beating upon themselves. Burnet theorizes that the only place it could possibly be negated is the Ultra Space itself, and that's only because it's a blend of realities to begin with, which brings its own set of problems to the table."

"It would seem, then, that Nihilego would become top priority, should they emerge from the portals," Diantha stated, removing her hand and showing her smile to the other two in the room. She chuckled just a little. "It gives us something of a plan for what to strike first. Reports I received from a month ago indicate that they're best combated by those with Mega Evolution or these Z-Moves, so we'll want to prepare for battle using that."

"Mega Evolution is not exactly commonplace in Alola," Akela stated, her eyes whipping over to Kukui. The man chuckled, rubbing at his wrist, slightly less tanned than the rest of his body in this light, she noticed.

"Oh, I have no fears of that," was the easy answer. She looked away a little while Akela regarded her with a quirked eyebrow. "Don't think I've been sitting here doing administrative work for the last month. The events throughout the world made my own course of action quite plain, indeed."

"Then I guess we'll be set," Kukui said, the easygoing grin back on his face once more. "Ash and the others are set to return from their tasks in the next day or two; if everything goes well, we'll be ready to make a strike on the Altar of the Sunne! Hopefully this can be resolved then."

"Either way, it doesn't change my course of action," the Kalos Champion said, bringing herself, once more, to a standing position. The two native Alolans regarded her carefully as she began to walk towards the stained-glass windows, hands behind her back as she considered it all. The doors to the room opened a little and Diantha caught sight of Kathi Lee, who nodded without a word. The Champion nodded back in confirmation. She breathed in. "The first League Conference in Alola is something to be highly celebrated. So, myself and the other Champions have made an important decision.

"All five of us will be in attendance at the Lanakila Conference."

If Kukui or Akela were surprised whatsoever, they didn't show any reaction. She supposed that was for the best, as it meant that they were accepting the League's decision. Indeed, if Mega Evolving, or those with Pokémon on a comparable level would be best equipped to deal with the threat at hand, then having that bevy of Champions in the place where all was about to go down was for the best. Plus, she figured it would truly keep Lusamine's watchful eye from the Ultra Space fixed on the League.

So, at last we've come to it, Diantha couldn't help but think, watching the waves of the waterfall crashing down outside. She breathed in. The world was on the move again. Their time of waiting and watching was over. The next great battle for peace in our time has begun.

Alain had only been near one Pokémon League stadium in his entire life, and to this day it served as a constant reminder of his failings. He could never walk past that part of Lumiose City without thinking of all that his actions had wrought. Sure, everything turned out fine in the end, but it was a source of something constantly weighing in on his heart. Only a few people had been able to put a salve on that part of him, reminding him of how everything had been resolved. To that end, he was able to move forward.

It made seeing the second League stadium hurt less.

"Wow, there's like a dome and everything!" Mairin exclaimed, pressing her face close to the window of the helicopter that was descending towards the large buildings, village and stadium that occupied the top of Mount Lanakila. They weren't the only ones arriving, either, various other transports with either the League logo or one from a local organization were all heading for that same exact spot from the air.

"It is a rather amazing sight," Sycamore commented from his own spot in the helicopter as it streaked downward. Alain took a glance, noting the very elaborate structure that rested there upon the peak. It was snowing atop Mount Lanakila, that snow melting off the large dome which seemed to encapsulate the impressive looking stadium.

Now that it was all complete, and they were closer to it, the boy could see its intricacies. It seemed to be built on an old stadium, likely used for ancient traditions back in the day. Now, however, it was modernized with electronic screens and stands large enough to fit even twice the audience from what there had been in the Kalos League! Though Alain admitted that he'd be surprised if it got even a quarter as full considering its location. At the very least, the nearly transparent dome prevented the snow from getting inside and ultimately affecting battles. Beyond that were other buildings for lodging, looking like a snow topped village that probably had wonderful fires raging indoors to warm the visitors. Though it wasn't their own particular destination for the moment. Alain felt Mairin tugging at his sleeve.

"Maybe you should take part again, huh?" she said with a little grin before elbowing him. The girl had gotten far too used to teasing him since she'd become friends with Bonnie.

"I'll pass," Alain stated simply. Sycamore appeared to find that amusing as their helicopter slowed for the landing.

"I don't think they'd want to see you take part, Alain," the professor said, reaching over to pat him on the back. "From what I know, the Alolans are very steeped in their traditions. While a foreign trainer might be no problem, bringing in a whole slew of foreign Pokémon for an event like this would be tantamount to sacrilege."

"That means he probably wouldn't use Greninja, then, unless the situation absolutely called for it," Alain expressed, just slightly disappointed. It had been some time since he'd seen Ash go all out. The helicopter finally stopped and all three of its passengers unclipped their seatbelts to make their way out on to the snowy landing once it had stabilized enough for them to do so. The black-haired boy turned towards the large building that was their ultimate destination, the location looking almost castle-like. Some people were lingering outside, but most were going in.

"That's right, Ash and Serena are here, right?" Mairin stated with a grin. Chespie, who had been sleeping on her lap, awoke and dove inside her shirt at the cold. Alain just laughed a little and walked forward. There was a familiarly striking woman approaching them with a wave, looking more dressed for the beach than the snow, though he could remark that he wasn't even cold, himself, despite his own basic attire.

"Glad you all could make it," the woman said. Sycamore seemed to wink at her. "It looks like you're the third helicopter from Kalos to arrive. I'm surprised Mr. Meyer isn't with you, from what Diantha has said."

"Taking care of things at the Gym, Madam Champion," Sycamore said to the woman with another wink. The Champion, Cynthia (Alain had only just realized her name), didn't look fazed at all, simply returning the response with a smile and motioning towards the building.

"A number of trainers have arrived and we'll begin briefing and distribution soon," the woman said to them. Alain offered a curt nod, grabbing on to Mairin's hand and beginning to pull her away while Sycamore stayed behind to chat. He kept going towards the interior, passing by a man who was staring up at the sky with a bored expression as he leaned against the exterior. He seemed to be acting like he didn't care, for whatever reason, and Alain ultimately ignored him to make his way inside the main hall of the castle fortress atop the mountain.

True to Cynthia's words, it was positively buzzing with people, and plenty of familiar faces. By one of the windowed walls was a large table of food that some were gathered around, chatting via either introducing themselves or reuniting. There was another guy there, too, strumming on a guitar like he was in a concert, though many ignored him, except for what looked like tittering fangirls of some sort. Alain just remained where he was while Mairin and Chespie ran for the food gleefully.

"Hey, stop looking so sour!" Alain jerked forward at the thump on his back and he turned around to see a rather familiar face from their multiple encounters.

"Astrid," he noted with a nod. The young woman grinned at him before placing an arm on his shoulder while she adjusted her shoes. "I had a feeling you'd be here. Who did you come with?"

"The Shalour Gym Leader," she stated. "Since Geosenge and my loss in the League to Ash, I chose to up my Mega Evolution game, so I went to study at the Tower of Mastery. When the summons came, well, there was no way I was turning that down. Especially since I heard Ash and Serena were in the region. It's been a while."

"It certainly has," Alain agreed. He laughed a little, glad to see one of his comrades in arms doing well. In fact, judging by those that were currently approaching, it was more than one of them that was doing well, even if he couldn't name them all by just seeing their faces. Astrid raised her hand in greeting to the group of four currently approaching.

"Yo, Astrid!" one of them called, and Alain could swear he saw tinge of pink on the boy's face. It made his eyes slide over to Mairin for a second before snapping right back. "You're looking fine…well. You're looking well."

"So are you, Rocky," Astrid said. She seemed to have finally finished with her shoe and detached herself from Alain. "Keeping busy, I'm sure. Though I'm surprised you have the time away from your school."

"My mother's serving as a substitute teacher with Nurse Joy…and Merry is…well, she decided to help out, for what that's worth," the blond boy in the lead answered. Alain remembered him as Seamus, but other than a shared nod, couldn't remember much else. The couple behind him looked vaguely disinterested in their current particular conversation, the girl looking around while the boy rolled his eyes at Rocky's rather obvious affections. "Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Hm?" Alain questioned, realizing that Seamus was speaking to him directly. The boy had his hands shoved in his pockets as he stared out of the windows towards the stadium that was outside.

"All this. I mean, you'd have thought that big battle months ago would have been the end of it, right?" Seamus asked. To this, Alain nodded, acknowledging that aspect of their meeting here. One would have thought that stopping the mastermind behind people like Lysandre would have put an end to meeting for yet another big battle about to take place, but it turned out they were wrong…or maybe that they hadn't even stopped the mastermind in the first place. "Ah well, free trip to Alola, right? And around the time of the League, too."

"I'm sure it'll be fun to watch," Alain agreed. Seamus' eyes were lighting up, as though he was thinking it would be more than fun. It allowed Alain to divert his attention for a moment, staring out at that vaunted stadium. True enough, the more that he thought about it, the more he realized just what would be taking place there.

That stadium was the end result of countless trainers' journeys; something that he now realized he had walked all over in the course of his desire to battle Ash. It was another thing he felt he had to make up for, and perhaps by cheering them all on, he'd be able to do so. In particular, though, he wanted to watch Ash battle again. Sure, part of him wanted to take part in the battle, himself, but the other, much larger part, genuinely just wanted to see Ash rise to the top like he'd done in Kalos.

"Astrid! It's been a long time!" yelled another familiar voice. Alain jerked out of his own beratement to face the girl that was approaching, her dark blue hair flying out as some others traveled with her. Astrid faced away from Rocky, grinning as she reached forward to take Dawn's hands. "You weren't at Ash's birthday party, so I'm surprised to see you here!"

"I was busy…"

"Grandpa was putting her through the paces!" shouted Korrina, skating over with a big grin. "She wanted to come, but grandpa wouldn't let her at the time. Didn't think to bring it up since I had her gift with me."

"Just a small token," Astrid laughed out heartily. "But who knew we'd all be gathering like this again."

"Well, you know Ash," Brock said stoically behind everyone, "wherever he goes…"

"Trouble always follows," the group agreed as one. It was such a plain and easy truth that they descended into laughter following it, only straightening up when they couldn't laugh anymore. By that point, the humor was gone, replaced with all manner of seriousness.

"But really, it looks like we're about to have a big battle again," May pointed out. "The Pokémon League seems to be keeping it quiet except to those of us that have fought before or are strong enough to fight now, but there's no doubt people are becoming aware that something's about to happen here."

"And Ash is in the center of it all, as usual," Dawn sighed out. Alain thought he heard a statement about the raven-haired boy's involvement in such dangerous and reckless situations making him such a kid, but the voice was drowned out by the loud crush of the crowd. For some reason, Alain was pleased with that. "Serena, too, I guess…but has anyone heard from them in months?"

"Serena called the lab a few weeks ago, actually," Alain noted. Eyes went back to him and he found himself slightly uncomfortable. Give him a battle and he excelled, but put him with a big group of people and he just preferred to be alone. Though, he did feel Mairin's eyes on him as she made her way back from the table, pushing him to be more social in the moment. "She was asking the professor questions about…her father, I think…"

"Michael, huh?" Brock said, his tone far more serious than before. "Not that it's the same Michael, but even so…Wonder why she's looking for him."

"I have no idea, but it seemed like she was trying to get a track on his movements over the years. Haven't heard from her since, so maybe she found him," Alain told them. It was about the best hint they had towards wherever she would be.

"Clemont's barely called, too," Korrina said, flicking a little bit of her hair as she spoke to them. "I think he called once, a month ago, and said he was on some big research project and was taking part at the Battle Tree, but otherwise there was radio silence, though I'm sure he's okay! The weird part was that Bonnie wasn't with him…"

"That was the weird part?" asked the remaining boy that had arrived with Seamus.

"Weird? I'd say all of this is just another Tuesday," Dawn laughed out with a shrug. May paused a moment to gobble down some grapes before raising an eyebrow.

"It's not a Tuesday…" Dawn quickly moved to shush her by making a statement about some boy named Drew that got the two into a near fight with each other, replete with teasing, blushes and glares from both sides.

Alain just drew back from it. Ash and his group had seemed to have gone off the radar for the last month, no doubt to prepare for the situation that was the reason they were all gathered now. It was completely like him to do everything he could to protect everyone, though going dark for a whole month seemed rather unlike him, when he thought about it. Either way, Alain knew the boy would no doubt come to Mount Lanakila sooner or later for the League, and they could reunite then. He looked forward to seeing how strong Ash had become in Alola.

"Ah, Aria, it's been too long!" Brock suddenly yelled, making Alain face the Pokémon doctor. True to his statement, the Kalos Queen, herself, was now approaching. She wasn't dressed in her regal outfits as usual, but rather in very casual dress. Perhaps it was because here she didn't need to worry about being known as a position (well, outside of those gathered with them), but rather just as a person. Either way, she still looked stunning, at least enough for the enamored Brock.

"It certainly has," the pinkette giggled out, curtseying a little as Brock reached his hand out. For whatever reason, she actually reached forward and took it. The young man looked ready to positively explode. "You've been well, Brock?"

"Better now that you're-"

"Croagunk!" Brock's body went rigid and he collapsed, his hand sliding out of Aria's. Croagunk was standing behind him, an evil little grin on his face as his fist glowed purple from jabbing his master in the behind. Aria surveyed the whole scene with amusement. Dawn and a ginger haired girl near her laughed, while Croagunk grabbed hold of his trainer's feet and began to drag him off.

"That's a shame. I was hoping to speak with him more," Aria said. If Alain didn't know better, he'd have thought that she actually wanted to be with Brock…or maybe he didn't know better and she was genuinely pouting about not being able to spend time with the overly-zealous and flirtatious man. Considering Professor Sycamore's suaveness, he had to suppose that maybe it was the case. Dawn appeared to pick up on this, along with May.

"You're joking, right?" the brunette asked, while Dawn's mouth simply fell open. Alain took that as indication that the conversation would leave the mutual topics they were aware of, and he instead turned towards the table of food. As noticed, Mairin had already left it, looking up at the big, burly man with a Garchomp next to him. He looked rather smug, and Alain could now accurately identify him as Remo; no doubt the man liked having some praises lavished upon him.

Shaking his head, Alain decided to get a small snack while they waited, grabbing a tiny plate. Across the table was the, again, familiar green-haired visage of Ash's rival, Sawyer. The boy looked even more mature than when they'd met at Ash's birthday party as he fastened his ascot. His gaze, however, seemed to be bouncing all over the place. At times, it would linger on him with a nod, others it would focus on the blue-haired girl he had likely arrived with. Then there were the longer, and slightly more apprehensive, stares towards the purple-haired boy that was leaning lazily against a table as he sipped on some orange juice. Alain quickly recognized why.

"It's kind of weird, meeting their real selves, huh?" Sawyer said with a chuckle. Alain nodded, unsure of what to really say. Most of those who had been a part of DARC were all those he had met at the Peace Tournament, except for Gary, or those who clearly had never been met before in either world. But the one that short distance away was most certainly their own world's version of the one that Ash called Paul. "He doesn't look as nasty, but it still makes you wonder."

"It does," Alain confirmed. Their conversation seemed to attract the attention of said boy, regardless. He stared at them, almost imperceptibly blinking before he finished his juice and placed it down. Alain found himself straightening, while Sawyer made to walk away. The surly boy stopped before him, not quite matching up in height as he looked up at him.

"You're Alain, right?" His tone was brusque (really, that was to be expected, when he thought about it). The black-haired boy nodded. Paul seemed to stop himself from scoffing. "You battled him, didn't you?"

"If by 'him' you mean Ash, then yes. I guess that would be something we have in common. So…yes, I'm Alain," the boy offered, holding a hand out awkwardly. Paul looked down at it before smirking a little. He reached forward and clasped it, neither breaking their challenging gazes towards one another.

"We do," Paul finally stated. His gaze slid off towards the window, the same one that led to the sight of the stadium. "He battled you in the finals, right?"

"He did. It was the toughest…er, second toughest battle I've ever fought. Took quite a bit out of myself and Charizard," Alain informed him. Despite the rather disinterested look on his face, he could tell that Paul was actually intrigued by the status of Ash and his strength. There was a fire in there, like a desire to watch him battle, or battle him again. It was a shared commonality. "I didn't see you fighting at Geosenge."

"No, I was still in Sinnoh," the boy answered, taking his hand back and folding his arms. The boy didn't share much more about that particular event, however. "When those things attacked, though…well, I figured it would be a good challenge for my Pokémon and I."

"That all you kids think about these days?" Alain stopped himself from jumping, turning along with Paul towards the man that had joined them. He looked like the one that had been leaning so lazily outside without a care in the world. "Alola's in danger, and you care about growing stronger for yourself?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Paul asked roughly. The older man considered him a moment and then scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air. "I don't want the world to end any more than anyone else. That'd be pointless. Anybody thinking it would do them any good is either pathetic or stupid."

Alain just watched in amusement as he listened to the boy. He could certainly hear the vernacular that identified him as this world's version of the Paul that he had met, but at the same time there wasn't the roiling rage underneath. He was calmer, more respectful towards people who deserved it. Meeting Ash really seemed to bring out the best in a lot of people. Knowing that, he shifted his focus to the shrugging man.

"Well, whatever, you do what you want," he said with a chuckle. "I'm only here for the battle, myself. Not for that 'growing stronger' crap, though. Beyond that…heh…that'll take years…"

"What will?" Alain asked, blurting out his intrigue before he could really stop to think about it. The man smirked at him, before he finally turned away.

"Nothing. If you kids want to know about Ash Ketchum, I wouldn't worry," the man said, waving his hand rather dismissively. "He's a strong kid. Might be a little confused from things, but I'm sure he'll figure it out in time for that spectacle. I'm looking forward to it…"

Somehow, that got Alain's blood racing, and his spirit fired up. He shared a look with the reticent boy next to him, both clearly experiencing the kind of rush that could only happen when thinking about battling Ash. Hearing that he'd clearly gotten even stronger simply made it even better. The sound of running footsteps drew them away as a man in a trench coat with black hair approached the other man they had been speaking with.

"Mr. Nanu! Mr. Nanu!" the man cried stoically, but with a sense of great urgency. Nanu lifted his eyebrow, as though indicating that the man should hurry up. Alain saw a familiar badge from the International Police (one he was especially familiar with after the interrogation following the Kalos Crisis) as the man stopped and leaned to whisper into Nanu's ear. It was still loud enough for Alain to hear it quite clearly. "We have it confirmed. They've been sighted on the move again. I've already informed Champion Cynthia."

"Finally…" Nanu grinned out, looking like a bloodthirsty beast, ready for the fight. "It's about damn time. Looks like Plumeria played her cards too early…"

The sound of loud, sharp claps split the air and Alain turned to face the entrance. He wasn't the only one in the room doing so; pretty much everyone there was turning to face the source of the noise. To no one's surprise, the one who was calling them to attention was Champion Cynthia. A movement at his side indicated to Alain that Mairin had returned and they were now all paying attention. He was just glad to not have to speak in much of a social capacity anymore; he had a feeling that the purple-haired boy next to him was similar in that regard, as well.

"Well, it would appear that just about everyone has gathered, then," Cynthia called out, making sure that everyone was riveted on her. "As you all know, we have called you here because of the crisis that will be facing Alola and the entire world. This is the source of it! Here and now! If we do not hold the line, then the Ultra Beasts you all have no doubt heard about will destroy our world as they bleed into other regions the way they did a month ago.

"To that end, we have planned a preemptive strike to take place soon, and we may require the strength of everyone here." There were some mutterings, followed by a loud clacking that showed some people, dressed in white, rolling in what seemed to be carts of various colored jewels…or maybe they were crystals? Alain couldn't tell from his distance. "Should that fail, we will have one more chance, following the Lanakila Conference to be held at this location. In order to complete it, therefore, we must arm you!"

"Excuse me, but when do we plan on making this preemptive strike, and how are we going about it?" Aria asked, no doubt the only one of them to actually have the guts and position to. Cynthia smiled at her and nodded.

"Soon. As of right now, the details beyond 'in the next couple of days' are unclear. Our comrades that have been working to prepare for the strike have yet to convene, themselves. As soon as they have, we'll have a better idea of what needs to be done and how and when," Cynthia clarified. Alain was pretty sure about whom she was talking. The Champion breathed in and out once more. "Now, before we talk any further, each one of you should approach here and take a Z-Crystal. Not to use, but to hold. No exceptions. No arguments. Our research has proven this will be vital to our assault."

She gave no other reason for it. Leastways, she didn't until all of the confused muttering truly reached its peak. When she finally did, it all made sense and Alain was feeling a little excited. Their next big battle was here, the chance to fight alongside Ash again to protect their world. It may have been unnatural for someone to think that way, but he was ready.

The board was set.

The pieces were on the move once again.

After a month of waiting, things were finally about to burst. Cynthia spoke.

"Without them in your possession, you can't even hope to reach Team Skull and put an end to these nefarious schemes once and for all. Now, take one, and we can begin the battle for our world once more!"

Author's Note: Yes, this was a different chapter. Like in Tribulations, I wanted to give that feel of "hello, this is the final story!". I hope it all worked out the way that I wanted it to. The first part, in particular, was something that I really enjoyed overall. I haven't shown a lot of Michael, so this was the chance to show that first meeting before he did all his dirty work in Alola. Really, though, the chapter was setting up the final conflict that is coming. As for our heroes…what have they been up to? Where are they? What has occurred in this last month? Well, next chapter will help to answer some of those questions!

All that said, we're really embarking on the final chapter of this trilogy, and I hope you'll ride it out with me to the very end. I know I'll work on bringing you the best product I can! So, until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.