Draco: Been in a Pokémon mood and desperately need to write something, but if I try and write a large-scale Pokémon fanfic I'm going to frick up the breach of the generation. No exceptions. If I'm writing anything but a literation (novelization, whatever) when the generation turns, I'm going to overcompensate for fear of seeming outdated in the middle of my writing and the quality of my work is going to suffer.

I considered writing a story that wasn't a continuous work so much as just a series of infrequent glances at someone's journey, but I can't do that. It goes against me. I want to tell the story in detail. I had to work up a lot of willpower just to offer my work-in-progress notes for the one thing I outright decided I was incapable of even beginning to write. Although that might be because it was in the fashion of someone I used to like and now hate.

I briefly toyed with the idea of writing something deliberately outdated when I start writing (read: a Generation VI fic that not only ignores but actively denies everything introduced in Generation VII), but my only idea for that makes me look like a Febass who thinks he's better than the guys who actually work for the Pokémon Company. I have some Gen VII ideas that I might be able to write deliberately outdated once I've played Sword/Shield.

So, I'm going to write a one-shot to try and counteract the ruination to my mood that resulted from certain people who had a problem with Generation VII's upper versions and were assholes about their opinions.

Last time I wrote anything about Pokémon (that wasn't me re-submitting my Ransei fics to compensate for the jackasses who got Auroran Nightlight deleted), I gave a listing of what all is canon ([quote]Can you use the term "is canon" when referring to game elements present in a fanfic?[/quote]) for my Pokémon fics, which pretty much amounts to which version and who did it. (The short version: Yellow by Red's hands, HeartGold by Gold's hands, Emerald by May's hands, Platinum by Dawn's hands, White by Touko's hands, White 2 by Nate's hands, Serena did Kalos, and at the time I had no idea what the hell was going on with Zygarde). That took place before I got to Alola, so I have to account for Alola's happenings if I'm gonna write a Gen VII fic.

As the above listing might clue you into, I generally tried to assume neutral versions where possible. Unova didn't have a neutral version, but playing a Version 1 and then playing the same Version 2 provides a continuous and conclusive story, so I took the White Versions because there's a scene in Black Version 2 that irks me for a very stupid reason. Alola doesn't have a neutral version, and the Ultra versions are not a continuation of the base versions, so I had to put a lot more thought into it if I was going to maintain my succession.

Compounding things was the fact that I've been concocting the teams that I purport each of the above had by the end of their journeys. Going by Red's team at Mt. Silver, I've been trying to build the aforesaid teams based on gift Pokémon when that offers a good combat-worthy team (i.e. there's a gift Togepi egg, Riolu egg, and Eevee in Sinnoh, so Dawn's team includes a Togekiss, Lucario, and an Eeveelution who improves her coverage). Generation VII has a few gift Pokémon that produce a pretty decent half team (and even include a Pokémon who has a Mega Stone available at the Battle Tree), so I assembled the other half from species that have Totem Pokémon and got a pretty balanced setup from it. But then I discovered some promotional art for Ultra that shows Elio with a good, diverse team that would never have occurred to me (it's the Episode RR art, take a look).

Well, they set up a sweet, weird little bit of awesome to let you get Cosmog registered in your Pokédex... which means I can technically pick any two versions, and apply teams as I deem appropriate.

On one side of the Ultra Wormhole, we have the Altar of the Sunne, where Sun version happened by Selene's hands (gift-and-Totem team). And on the other side of the Ultra Wormhole, we have the Altar of the Moone, where Ultra Moon version happened by Elio's hands (promo-art team). This fic takes place beneath the Altar of the Moone. That being said, I'm going to take the same approach I did in Unova and try and write this ambiguously, not specifically identifying Sun- or Moon-exclusive happenings; this fic is about the Ultra versions, and I'm using Elio as my mouthpiece, but I'm trying to avoid mentioning which Altar and which Lake were involved.

Yes, I picked versions and Champions to do that contrast on purpose.

Also, minor headcanon about the Pokémon world currency that was involved in my dramatic fail of a large-scale original-story fanfic. The term "Pokédollar" is a bit much to say in casual conversation. And the P with a double-strikethrough on the stem is a character that does not to my knowledge exist in Unicode. I got into the habit of writing it as "pd" (pronounced 'piid'), in the vein of the currency of Luxendarc in Bravely Default, "pg" (pronounced 'piig'). A few Team Skull Grunts get a rap going in the Po Town Pokémon Center that assumes the P with a double-strikethrough is pronounced as a single-syllable word, so I currently have nothing to contrast that headcanon.

Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo and the Pokémon Company.

The President and the Champion

"Wow, there isn't even a trace..."

Elio hadn't been in Lusamine's manor since the last Ultra Wormhole incident; he was impressed to discover there was no sign or lasting damage from the event. "Either the staff has been busy," he mused, glancing around the entrance, "or Colress deserves some kind of reward."

"Oh?" The voice from nearby drew his attention; the Aether Foundation president had managed to open the door without making a sound. "Elio." Lusamine closed the door behind her. "I get the feeling this isn't a social visit."

The Champion of Alola shook his head. "That phrase. 'Social visit'. I swear that means something different to everyone I ask. I'm not even going to pretend to confirm or deny that."

Lusamine smiled briefly. "What brings you here?"

"Lillie mentioned you'd been kind of... cooped up," Elio observed. "Hadn't shown your face around the Foundation recently." He shook his head. "Given the number of Ultra Wormholes that have been opened in Aether Paradise, I figured I'd make sure that wasn't because we were having another Rainbow Rocket incident from someone who was being a little more subtle about it."

"A fair concern," Lusamine conceded. "But no, there's been nothing of the sort. I've simply been feeling... a little under the weather."

Elio nodded. "Under the weather," he mused. "Physically, or emotionally?"

Lusamine closed her eyes. "...Emotional," she admitted.

"Don't blame you there," Elio admitted. "You know, the original Team Rocket, back in Kanto, they took over a company called Silph, in the middle of one of their big projects. From what I read about it before I moved to Alola, they shut down everything but the main Poké Ball production line for like a month, to let their workers recover from the experience. Being in a hostage situation isn't totally good for your mental health."

He turned away, taking a few steps in contemplation. "And... that's not the only thing weighing you down, is it?"

"...Is it that obvious?" Lusamine asked.

"Not without context," Elio observed. "The day after I became Champion, the Ultra Recon Squad asked me to lend them a hand with some Ultra Beasts in Poni Grove. I only had the three Beast Balls you gave me at the Altar, and, uh... I didn't realize they'd gotten a few from you guys already." Lusamine winced as she realized what he was getting at. "Yeah. 1000 pd a Ball doesn't do the wallet a whole lot of favours. I don't usually buy specialty Balls, but I figured you had those things made for a reason, so why try my luck with stakes that high?"

He shook his head, turning back to the conversation at hand. "Anyways, some of the less busy employees mentioned that you hadn't been giving much direction since the incident with Necrozma. People were maintaining the conservation efforts, your field crews were still on the lookout for abused Pokémon, a couple preventative measures in case we get any more Ultra Wormholes - just passive instructions to keep up what was already ongoing." Then, turning back to Lusamine; "And when I got to Poni Grove, Ms. Wicke was waiting for me. She wanted to give me one of the Type: Null specimens. On Gladion's behalf."

Lusamine averted her gaze.

"He'd only been raising the one before I last saw him at Mount Lanakila, so... I have to assume he's gotten some sort of authority."

"...Yes," Lusamine confirmed. "I've told the Foundation that Lillie and Gladion are to be considered acting on my behalf, ever since I returned from Ultra Space. No questions asked. If he's given you Type: Null, then that means they've listened." She sighed. "That interview before Rainbow Rocket appeared, when I said we were researching the Ultra Wormholes - I was presenting myself as still being the leader of the Foundation, because I wanted to assuage the fears of the people. But I, personally... I don't know what I could ever do."

"You want to repent," Elio observed. "But you don't know how you can ever atone for everything you've done."

Lusamine turned to him, as though she hadn't considered his words.

"...Do you even understand everything that you've done?" Elio asked.

"I'm not sure," Lusamine replied. "I failed to stop Necrozma from advancing on Alola, and nearly brought the same perpetual darkness to Alola, if not the world, that plagues the Ultra Megalopolis. What could I possibly have done that could be worse than that?"

Elio's gaze narrowed. "Should I answer by chronology, or intensity?"

His words seemed to strike something sensitive in Lusamine's mind; her gaze fell, and she did not respond.

After a moment, Elio considered where to begin. In many video games he had played, if a question was asked in a time-sensitive situation, and the player hadn't selected a choice with prompt timing, most of his games seemed make an assumption based on where the cursor lay when time ran out - assuming that neither answer was more or less favourable.

Lusamine spoke before he could start. "Would you like to sit down, Elio?" she asked. "There are few things more irritating in a conversation than neglecting to raise your intended point because you were preoccupied by your discomfort."

"Good point."

+x+x+x+

"Roserade Tea?"

Elio took a seat at the table. "You know, sure. They offered that at one PMC I stopped at when I was in the mood for Tapu Cocoa, I figured I get some next time, and I never noticed it on the menu again."

Lusamine poured him a cup of tea, and one for herself, before setting the kettle down and bringing the drinks to the table. Elio took a sip as she sat down; the taste was a bit mild for his preferences, but the aroma was rather soothing. He held the cup to his lips without drinking and let the scent waft up to him for a moment before setting the cup upon his saucer.

"...I'll let you decide where to start," Lusamine prompted.

"Do you remember the first time me and Hau came to Aether Paradise?" Elio asked. "You offered to take him shopping for a better style, and he figured your style was something that only you could pull off. And maybe Lillie. You said that children should only ever listen to the adults around them." He shook his head. "That should have been my first clue. When Lillie mentioned she'd only ever worn the clothes that her mother told her to wear, and Gladion mentioned that he was like an accessory to his mother... I should have connected the dots sooner, and realized they were both referring to you."

The Aether president sighed.

Elio took another sip of his tea. "Children are not just things that belong to their parents," he reprimanded. "You've tried to control every aspect of their lives. And you've tried to force that viewpoint on all the Trainers around you. That's had an impact on the lives they've led. Lillie tried to save an innocent Pokémon from suffering and was unable to do anything on her own. Gladion ended up joining Team Skull as an enforcer because he thought they were the best path to him becoming strong enough to protect the people and Pokémon he cared about."

Lusamine nodded. "I overstepped. I thought I was showing them love as their mother, and failed to realize what I was really doing."

"It's not just them, either," Elio observed. "What about all those Pokémon in your trophy room? You took Pokémon you said you 'loved', and petrified them in ice. Turned them into statues on display to admire whenever you wanted." He shook his head. "That's a fate worse than death, you realize that? I mean, I assume your foundation knows how to put a Pokémon into stasis properly and take them out safely, because your Type: Null specimens didn't die before Gladion broke them out. But when they thaw - and they will, one day, even if you're not around to do it - even if they're thawed properly, what are they going to wake up to? A world they don't recognize? Where none of the Pokémon or people they knew are still alive?"

His words caused Lusamine to recoil. "None... none of the Pokémon in there have been in stasis longer than the BK Project."

Elio blinked. "Meaning...?"

It was immediately apparent that the implications were entirely unintentional, for Lusamine's expression abruptly changed to concern. "No, nothing of the sort!" she assured him. "That was not what I meant to say! I was only using it as a frame of reference, I didn't mean to imply...!"

"Lusamine." Elio spoke quietly, cutting her off. "How many times has the Aether Foundation experienced a failure in putting a Pokémon into stasis?"

Lusamine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Once," she insisted. "During a power outage, early in the life of Aether Paradise. Everyone's resources were immediately put into keeping the poor Stufful alive. There have been no casualties in the process."

"I see," Elio sighed. "Working off an existing process, then?"

"Yes."

They both drank from their tea to ease themselves after that unfounded panic.

"That brings me to my next point," Elio observed. "Type: Full."

"Type: Null," Lusamine corrected.

She immediately regretted the reflex, for the way Elio's expression changed in retaliation. "No, I'm not talking about the end result," he reprimanded. "I'm talking about the Beast Killer that was your objective. You created an artificial Pokémon intended to be an interdimensional predator - to violate the ecosystems of worlds you had never been to." He shook his head. "Three specimens - that's what the files in the secret lab said. Was that your idea of a control group? Or just as many as you had the resources for when you reached that point in the project?"

Lusamine didn't respond.

"Three specimens," Elio observed. "And all three of them were driven mad by the burden of being made to be a Beast Killer. The files said all three of them rejected the 'RKS System' that was supposed to be the last step. So, did you try to apply the system to all of them at once? Or did you apply it to the first one, had it go berserk, and then subdued it before applying it to the next?"

"...Neither, really," Lusamine explained. "We performed the final stage in turn. Each specimen seemed to accept the RKS System at first. The last specimen had just been finished when the first showed signs of rejection, followed promptly by the resulting berserker phase. When we managed to subdue the specimen, we each made to catch our breath before Faba realized that it may not be an isolated case."

Elio winced. "I see," he mused. "So, each one was subjected to that berserker phase. And then you put them on ice - not even to be put on display, but intended to be kept in stasis for all eternity, reassigned a name of failure. And then, you abandoned the goal that you had been working towards, leaving their very existence for naught."

Lusamine's gaze shot up. "You just reprimanded me for creating a Beast Killer-!"

"With intention to make the first move!" Elio proclaimed. "Striking first for fear of being stricken will only bring retaliation! If you had been working towards Type: Full intending for it to be a defender, it would be a noble cause. Ultra Beasts are far stronger that the Pokémon of Alola. Even the tapu struggle to fend them off. A Beast Killer Pokémon meant to serve as a protector would be a boon to Alola. Even just measures to defend against Ultra Beasts would be a good idea. But you abandoned anything of the sort. You stopped trying to prevent Ultra Beasts, and started trying to find them - for their own merits."

"I would never," Lusamine protested. "The Ultra Wormholes took my husband, I would never seek out-!"

"I saw you," Elio said firmly. "When Nihilego appeared in the conservation area, and vanished after I tried to fight it off, I saw your expression. You were admiring the Ultra Beast that threatened the Pokémon you were caring for."

Lusamine's shook her head. "No... I was... That wasn't..."

Elio picked up his tea, raised it to his mouth, and found it no longer warm enough to give off that soothing aroma with any strength.

"Then there's Nebby," he observed. "Cosmog - an innocent Pokémon, with no capability for battle. But it could open Ultra Wormholes - if it was under duress. So you extorted it, trying to open an Ultra Wormhole, so that you could access Ultra Space. Did that start before or after the Ultra Recon Squad found you, and asked you to help with Necrozma?"

The Aether president's silence spoke volumes.

"Before, then," Elio mused, and Lusamine did not object. "The Ultra Recon Squad have their own means of travelling between Alola and the Ultra Megalopolis. Which means that you were tormenting Cosmog to open Ultra Wormholes for your own reasons. And when the Recon Squad appeared, all they did was aim you at Necrozma - and you were convinced that you were making Nebby suffer for some greater good." He sighed. "And when Lillie tried to save a powerless Pokémon from suffering, you treated her like she was tearing down everything you'd built."

"I was deceiving myself," Lusamine admitted. "I told myself I was saving Alola, no matter the cost."

"More than that, though," Elio mused. "You told yourself that you were some invincible hero to Alola. That you and Guzma were going to be enough to stop what the entire Megalopolis was convinced that they couldn't. And because of that, you brought Necrozma to Nebby - who was almost lost forever to the Blinding One's Ultra Burst."

Lusamine took a deep breath.

Elio shook his head. "You don't need to repent for being unable to stop Necrozma," he insisted. "You weren't capable. That is not your fault. No one should be blamed for being incapable. The fault lies in failing to realize that you alone weren't capable, and spurning the help you were offered. And that means that your failure in Ultra Megalopolis is the least of what you need to atone for."

"How?" Lusamine asked. "How can I possibly atone for everything I've done?"

"That is not up to me to decide," Elio proclaimed. "You need to repent by your own hands." He pushed his tea just lightly, a silent proclamation that he'd had enough. "That being said... you need to know that you're capable of repenting."

Lusamine blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Type: Null," Elio mused. "Three specimens. Gladion raised one. He left the other to be given to me. There's still one specimen left, right?" The Champion got to his feet. "From what Ms. Wicke has told me, Type: Null evolves if it finds a Trainer it can trust. Take the last specimen out of stasis, and raise it as one of your Pokémon. If it evolves, that means that you can earn its trust. That means that you are capable of righting the wrongs that you have wrought."

"...That's not a bad idea," Lusamine muttered. She got to her feet, as well. "Shall I see you off?"

+x+x+x+

Elio changed into his Riding Wear before heading out of the mansion; as Lusamine closed the door behind them, he drew out his Ride Pager... and hesitated.

"Is something wrong?" Lusamine asked.

"Team Rainbow Rocket," Elio mused. "All those... I'm not sure if they can properly be called 'admins'... It was like they had each been leaders elsewhere..."

"I think I know who you're referring to," Lusamine observed.

"Well, they each said they were from a different world," Elio recalled. "A world where they had succeeded, and were about to force their designs on the region before them." He shook his head. "And they all came from the Ultra Wormholes... but none of them had the kind of Pokémon that can open Ultra Wormholes."

Lusamine narrowed her gaze. "What are you saying?"

"If there's a world where each of them succeeded in their goals," Elio mused, turning to face her, "then... who's to say that there isn't a world where you succeeded in yours?"

The Aether Foundation president shook her head. "My goal was to stop Necrozma," she observed.

"Because the Ultra Recon Squad asked for your help," the Champion corrected. "They just aimed you at the Blinding One. That didn't change anything about you; it just changed how everyone saw you." He glanced at his Ride Pager. "You were focused on the Ultra Beasts before the Recon Squad came to Alola. What would have happened if they hadn't?"

Silence before the mansion, save for the whisper of the wind.

Draco: Unsubtly ominous ending b/c im evil liek that.

Is just me, or does money not come as easy in Alola as it does elsewhere? I mean, I might be skewed because I spent the days shortly before and shortly after my desertion in Kalos where the Battle Chateau is a thing, but it just seems to me that my wallet is a little tighter in Alola than it is elsewhere.

Incineroar, Tsareena, Dusk Form Lycanroc, Alolan Ninetales, Toucannon, Alolan Raichu. I want to try and build that team when I next play Ultra, see if it works with my personal playstyle. I'm currently in the middle of a less-than-honourable playthrough to see how using Pokémon Refresh on your whole team compares to using Pokémon-Amie on your whole team. Good Alpha, I miss those Kalosian minigames for reasons entirely unrelated to the minigames themselves.
For comparison, my gift-and-Totem team theory is Decidueye, Salazzle, Wishiwashi, Aerodactyl, Sylveon, and Kommo-o. I haven't actually made that one either, because I spent my runs of the base versions training up some teams I'd concocted for my failed Gen VI fanfic.

I count myself lucky that I managed to get a Dusk Form Lycanroc second-hand. The GTS doesn't show abilities, so I have no way of knowing who's offering a Rockruff with Own Tempo; finding a reasonable bargain for a fully-evolved Pokémon is a much more treacherous search. Took me a dozen tries to find a Lycanroc from someone who was asking for a Pokémon I had.