My heart pounds in my chest as I part ways with Rose for now, pacing down the murky corridor in the opposite direction from her. Jun's room is only the next door along, so I grip the door's cold handle and barge in.

In the absence of any form of decoration whatsoever, Jun's room in this place is somehow even bleaker than Rose's. But alone on the basic single bed in the room is Lillie, just as I'd hoped. Both of her wrists are tied to the bed posts, her long, golden ponytail flowing loosely down over her shoulder. Her head flicks up immediately as I swing open the door. She stares at me with wide eyes, her surprised expression overflowing with relief.

"Sun!"

I rush over to her, not wasting a second in gently laying a hand against her side. "Ah, Lillie..." I whisper her name in an overjoyed breath which transitions into a slight chuckle. "Sorry that getting to you took so long. Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?"

A tinge of concern dances in my eyes as they check her over for any signs of injury, but the tension leaves me completely when I see her sweet, smiling face.

"No, I'm fine! Just... a bit stuck," she answers, glancing up at her wrists which are tethered to the bed.

"Ah, right..."

My hands fumble around the rope, carefully unfastening it around her wrists. If Rose was the one that tied her up too, then I'm kind of impressed - that girl certainly knows how to tie a good knot. Lillie sits up as I free her, squeezing her eyes shut while she stretches out her arms.

"Haaah, thanks. I was-"

I interrupt her without sparing a moment as my hands land gently against Lillie's cheeks and I press my lips up against hers. My girlfriend's glistening eyes spring open in surprise at first, before she eases into the kiss and wraps her now-freed arms around me. She gladly pushes against me as the room is filled with the sound of delicate kissing - although we probably shouldn't be doing this in Jun's room. After a few more seconds, I pull my head away again quickly.

"You were saying?"

Lillie pants quietly for breath as her bright green eyes stare into mine. Her hot lips slide up into a smirk, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Hey... I was going to do that," she complains. Her hands fall down to my chest, pressing gently against it. "Um... what about you though, are you okay? Those cuts on your cheeks from earlier... there's still blood on your face," she murmurs worriedly.

I lay a hand on top of hers, squeezing her fingers with care. "I'm fine Lil, really. There's no time for me to clean myself up. What happened after you were captured?" I ask urgently.

Lillie's hands slip away from mine as she turns to grab her pink bag from atop a nearby chair. "Well, nothing really... When I woke up, I was tied up here. Rose was in the room too. All she told me was that she was sorry and that she had to keep an eye on me," she explains. "After that, I couldn't do much except try to get free. What happened with you, though? What did I miss?"

I catch myself pondering my words carefully. "Uh... a lot," I answer bluntly. "I had a long chat with Rose. Turns out, you were right about the Ultra Beast thing. To make a long story short, she brought us here so we can help her stop Team Skull."

Lillie stares at me, her face cycling through a mix of different emotions. "I-I see," she says slowly.

Without giving her time to process everything I just said, I grab hold of her hand and start towards the door. "There's no time to lose, c'mon!"

"I- uh, right," Lillie stammers, stumbling along behind me.

The slamming of our footsteps echoes throughout the corridor as we dash back to the main room. Up ahead is Rose. She stands alone, facing off against Kane and the team of bandits gathered around the large, cluttered space. The situation looks heated.

"...So what are you saying, Rose? That only now, after everything we've done together, you're thinking that we should... what, just give up? You've been a part of this whole gig since the start!" Kane growls. The Team Skull boss raises an eyebrow, glancing past Rose and at us as we come to a stop behind her. He scoffs harshly. "You let em go?!"

Rose turns around quickly, showing us a self-assured smile. She shrugs nonchalantly as she turns her attention back to Kane. "Eh, sorry boss. Not a lot I could do about that. Sun here wiped the floor with my Pokémon pretty quick."

Kane's stare digs into her as he crosses his arms, clearly unconvinced. "Tch, is that right? Cus' I'm pretty sure I didn't hear no battle!"

Rose blinks, pushing her tongue casually against the inside of her cheek. "Huh, right." She shrugs. "Whoopsie!"

The freezing silence in the room grows tense as Kane eyes Rose, a twisted grimace plastered on his face. There's a long pause before he says anything. His fiery eyes flick briefly between me and Lillie, then back at Rose.

"...Tch. I see how it is," he mutters. "And here I was thinking I was one of the only people in the world that could trust you."

Rose's body freezes up uncomfortably, her slight smile dropping. "No, I mean..." The girl sighs, her tone switching to something more serious. "Does it really matter whether I battle him or not? Don't you know about everything he's done? He's the Champion, damn it. I won't win."

Kane leans forward. "Doesn't matter! That ain't what this is about!"

His booming words ring out through the hideout, silencing everything and everyone aside for the faint clacking of Jun's fingers against a keyboard, the tranquil Team Skull admin seemingly paying little attention to the situation as he works on something. The gang of grunts around the room glance silently between Rose and their boss.

"It's about being a part of the damn crew," Kane sighs. "You forget what all this has been for or somethin'? About the dreams we've been busting our asses for? Did you, of all damn people, somehow forget about the pain that brought all of us here in the first place - you, me and every member of the gang you see here in this room?"

Rose stares emptily at him. She looks... haunted.

Kane shakes his head. "We took the only chance we had to finally stab back at this world that forced us to suffer. The chance to finally be something. And now you wanna throw that chance away? When we're this close?" Kane growls, spitting the words across the room. His eyes fall shut. "Whatever, then. Fine. If you don't agree with what we're doing, then... you can go. But if me and the crew mean a single damn thing to you..." He pauses, his grief-stricken eyes opening again and staring at Rose. "Then at least stand and fight. For the team. If you ain't just a traitor, that is."

Rose's stance is paralyzed, her wide eyes gazing coldly down at the floor as the anxious silence surrounds her. The spotlight returns to her now as she stands stuck with me and Lillie on one side, Kane and Team Skull on the other. All eyes in the room are fixed on her.

A gentle sigh passes through her lips and permeates the quiet as she slowly takes hold of a Poké Ball at her hip. She turns around to face me, her rosy lips showing a smile but her hazel eyes full of pain.

"Sorry, Sun. It's the least I can do."

My eyes fall shut calmly, and I nod. "It's okay." I show her a warm grin. "To be honest, I've been looking forward to battling you again for a long time."

The two of us each take a few steps back, making space for the imminent showdown. Rose manages a wistful smirk. "Me too..." She draws in a deep, focused breath, before pushing it out again through her lips. In a swift motion, she flicks her head back and throws her glossy, scarlet hair over her shoulder. "I've been waiting to show you what I learnt in Galar."

My eyes brim with focused determination as I tighten my grip on Feathers' Poké Ball. "Come on then, Rose. Show me what you've got."

A genuine grin spreads across Rose's face as she glances down at the Poké Ball in her hand. Her spirit flares to life with an aura of concentration that matches mine as she twirls bouncily on the spot, throwing the Poké Ball into action and taking up a confident stance as her Weavile bursts out of it.

"Let's do it, Feathers!"

Lillie steps back behind me, watching as the Decidueye enters the battle and faces off against his opponent. Most of the Team Skull thugs gathered around collectively lean forward on the seat or crate that they're perched on, all of them eyeing the fight with intrigue as I thrust out my hand.

"Leaf Blade!"

Feathers launches forwards into combat, and Rose giggles excitedly to herself as she watches me make the first move. She flicks a finger forward, pointing eagerly at the oncoming Decidueye.

"Let's start things off with Icicle Spear!"

Her Weavile leaps up into the air without hesitation, freezing a sharp ice javelin and hurling it forwards at Feathers. My partner Pokémon doesn't break pace, cleaving through the spear easily with his wing mid-flight and shattering it into a rain of tiny crystalline fragments as he closes in on the Weavile and swipes her with a focused Leaf Blade.

Rose's Weavile lets out a shrill cry as she's sent hurtling backwards through the air, slamming into a rocky wall before dropping to the ground with a loud crash. The Pokémon growls slightly in pain, her body shaking as she painfully pushes herself back onto her feet and raises her sharp claws once again. Impressive... even after taking a hit like that, Rose's signature Pokémon still has some fight left in her.

Instead of directing her Weavile to make another move though, Rose returns her to her Poké Ball. "Hey, that's enough, Whisper. Back to me."

"Same to you, Feathers," I say, switching him out with my water-type ninja Pokémon. "Your turn, Shizu."

"Go for it, Absol!"

Rose and I return and switch in our next Pokémon in near-perfect unison. My Greninja watches Rose's Absol carefully, the white-furred Pokémon prowling protectively in front of her Trainer with an elegant air about her.

"Shizu, Water Shuriken!"

The Greninja closes his eyes in concentration, crossing his arms before hurling a fan of sharp-edged shurikens across the battlefield.

"Use Detect! Close the distance!"

The Absol tenses her body in preparation, eyeing the projectiles carefully and darting forward faster than the eye can follow. She blinks past the shurikens, reappearing in the air behind Shizu.

"Now, use Night Slash!"

Shizu turns his head to see the Absol's claw, dripping with a dreadful black vapour, swinging for him.

I feel my teeth clench tightly. "Parry it with Night Slash!"

Shizu forms a blade in his hand and raises it in defence all within a fraction of a second, blocking the Absol's attack with the same move. The Absol staggers backward if only for a moment, providing Shizu the split-second opportunity to strike again with a counterattacking Night Slash.

The blow catches the Absol off guard, sending her tumbling through the air to a crash on the ground in front of Rose before the Pokémon rolls back onto her feet. The Absol's breathing remains focused as her claws glow with a dark energy. My eyes widen. She's raising her attack? That must mean that Rose's Absol... her ability is Justified. It's a power that heightens a Pokémon's attack stat when hit with a Dark-type move, and Rose's up-close attack strategy forced me into using one. Clever.

"Play Rough!" Rose commands with a grin.

"Agh... evade backwards!"

Shizu's dark blade vanishes in his hand as he leaps backward, but Rose's Absol is determined to strike back. She darts forward in pursuit, leaping across the room and successfully tackling the Greninja down to the floor, her sharp claws letting loose a flurry of super-effective hits. Shizu struggles under the unrelenting weight of the attacks, finally managing to push back and slam his two feet into the gut of the Absol that's pinning him down. His adversary grunts as she's sent back across the battlefield, landing painfully as Shizu flips himself back onto his feet.

My Greninja shakes the pain off, panting as he glares at the opposing Absol that weakly manages to get back up. I'm taken aback by just how tough Rose's Absol has become, now able to put up a good fight even against Shizu.

I point forward. "Water Shuriken!"

"Detect, again!"

Shizu sends a single, speeding shuriken toward his target, which the Absol evades with lightning speed as she darts to the side. This time though, Shizu is ready, another fan of shurikens appearing in his hand as his narrowed eyes lock in on the reappearing Absol. The burst of shurikens curve through the air as he throws them, all three of them cutting into the vulnerable Absol which knocks her off balance and takes her down at last.

Rose blinks, releasing a focused sigh as she returns her Pokémon. "Ha, I've been waiting for this... Alright then Sun, how about you meet the new addition to my team, hm?"

She hops forward energetically as she throws in her next Poké Ball. The burst of blue light that floods the room is accompanied by a menacing caw, and a moment later I find my gaze meeting the stern red eyes of a huge black bird, its body coated in a lustrous, charcoal armour. It's a Corviknight. They're a popular Pokémon over in the Galar region, and it looks like Rose found a new friend in one there.

"Shizu, return!"

I've never had the pleasure of taking on a Corviknight in battle myself before, but I've seen enough Galar League matches on TV to know how to deal with them. In a swift motion, I bring Shizu back to his Poké Ball while switching in Jolt.

The Alolan Raichu cheerily rides his tail around in a small circle as he exits his Poké Ball, coming to a stop and staring up at the massive bird with a carefree expression as he awaits my commands.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Hee... Night Daze!"

A look of shock seizes Jolt's expression as he watches the wave of treacherous energy rush towards him. The jet black shockwave slams into him, knocking the Raichu off his tail and interrupting his concentrated electric attack before he can form it. Jolt crashes onto the floor, struggling to lift his head back up through the pain.

My face falls as I realise my mistake. The dark cloud surrounding the Corviknight dissipates to reveal Rose's Zoroark, his arms crossed as he stares at us. I was so focused on facing a new Pokémon, the illusive member of her team completely slipped my mind. The corner of Rose's lip curves upward into a mischievous smirk, satisfied that I fell for her trap.

"Shadow Ball!"

The Zoroark forms a glowing, purple orb in his hand and hurls it across the battlefield at Jolt, who's already too weakened by the previous attack to climb back to his feet in time. The super-effective hit sends him hurtling backwards until he rolls to a stop on the cold floor, fainted.

I blink, staring widely in shock at my fainted Pokémon before returning him. "Ahh, sorry Jolt..." My eyes snap back up to Rose and her Pokémon as I reach for my next Poké Ball. "Not bad... Delta, your turn."

Up next in the fight is my Dusk-Form Lycanroc, his orange fur shining as he scrapes an angered paw against the iron floor.

"Go get em'. Close Combat!" I shout.

Rose watches the wolf Pokémon start towards her Pokémon with her teeth clenched anxiously. She knows her Zoroark doesn't specialise up close, and so do I. "Dodge out the way of that!"

The Zoroark thrusts sideways in an attempt to throw Delta off course, but the timing is way off. The Lycanroc's paws slam into the ground as he bounds across the battlefield, his target locked in. He leaps off of a wall to redirect himself, barrelling towards the Zoroark and pinning him down so that he can let loose a series of pulverising, rapid-fire blows with his rugged paws and finish him off.

Rose sighs. "You did good, Zoroark. And for my next trick..."

As Rose sends in her Mimikyu, I take the opportunity to switch Delta out. "Back to you, Shizu!"

I don't waste a second as Shizu returns to the fight. "Water Shuriken!"

The Greninja flicks a fan of shurikens at the target which promptly tears off the Mimikyu's disguise, leaving it vulnerable before our opponents even have a chance to prepare themselves.

"Now, Night Slash!"

Rose watches stilly as Shizu lunges for her exposed Pokémon, his shadowlike blade tearing ever closer to its prey.

"Phantom Force."

Shizu cuts through thin air as the Mimikyu vanishes just moments before being struck. Both me and my Pokémon freeze as we glance around, anxiously waiting for the enemy to reappear. Shizu flicks his head around and raises his manifested blade in a blocking motion as the Mimikyu suddenly leaps from the shadows behind him, though the attack is too strong for him to defend against fully. Shizu grunts as the blow throws him into the air, catching himself by digging his feet into the wall he was about to collide with.

"Night Slash, now!"

The Greninja launches himself off the wall with an astonishing burst of speed, unsheathing a blade from the shadows as he flashes towards his opponent and uses his momentum to cut through the Mimikyu while it's vulnerable.

Rose stares tentatively at her Mimikyu as it crashes to the ground in a heap, its HP sliced to zero. She takes a breath as she returns the Pokémon and takes hold of one of her last Poké Balls. "Okay, no more tricks - time for you to meet my Corviknight for real!"

Her body poses forward enthusiastically as she hurls the Poké Ball into battle, releasing the steel-plated bird in the flesh. There's no sign of concern in the Pokémon's red eyes as he stares across at us. It's a massive Pokémon... the thick, shining armour on the thing looks nearly unbreakable. Shizu will need to land a quick series of hits if he's going to take it down.

"Water Shuriken!"

Thinking the same thing, Shizu nods as he swings his hand out in front of him, flinging a fan of water shurikens at the target while simultaneously darting forward at it. The splashing impact of the shurikens is stronger than you might expect, knocking the Corviknight backward slightly and leaving it open to another strike if Shizu is quick enough.

"Follow up with Night Slash!"

Rose smirks as she watches the Greninja form a blade from nothing and lunge at her Pokémon. "Iron Defence!"

The Corviknight's whole body solidifies momentarily with a gleaming silver shine, his armour hardening just moments before Shizu's Night Slash makes contact. The perfect blade slams against the Corviknight's body, white sparks bursting from the impact and sending a deafening, metallic clang across the battlefield.

Rose tilts her head and grins sweetly. "The shuriken-slash combo again, Sun? Corviknight, Steel Wing!"

Corviknight's piercing eyes meet with Shizu's, not phased by the tiny amount of damage he took from the Night Slash that he blocked. The massive bird swings his wing, smashing it into Shizu's jaw and sending him flying.

My Pokémon scrapes his hand along the floor as he skids to a stop, yanking himself back up to his feet with some effort. He stares down the armoured Raven Pokémon, slowly reaching up and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Shred its armour with Water Shuriken!" I shout.

Rose's focus seems to waver as she stares on at the fight. "Iron Defence!"

Shizu launches a barrage of projectiles, but the Corviknight is quick to cross his wings out in front of him, hardening them and using them as some sort of shield.

"Don't stop, Shizu. Break its guard!"

The Greninja's two hands become a blur as he throws shurikens in rapid succession. The Corviknight's hardened armour is strong, sure, but the Pokémon can't guard himself forever. Especially not against me and my team. Unable to strike back while trying to defend himself against the unrelenting rain of shurikens, the Corviknight fails to keep up his Iron Defence as the silver coating on his wings vanishes and a burst of the hard-hitting projectiles leaves him reeling.

"Use Night Slash!"

Without hesitation, Shizu lunges back across the battlefield, seizing the opportunity while his adversary is left wide open and tearing past the Corviknight.

"Hit it again!" I command.

The Greninja reorients himself in the air, preparing to strike again with Night Slash on the staggered Corviknight.

"Show em' you're more than a punching bag, Corviknight! Use Reversal!"

The Corviknight's sinister red eyes meet Shizu's as the Greninja goes for him. This time though, the steel bird is ready for him. Blocking Shizu's strike, he catches my Pokémon in his wings and piledrives him head first down into the solid floor. I wince slightly as I watch the impact. Shizu gargles out in surprise as he slams into the floor, wasting as little time as he can as he grunts and rolls backwards onto his feet.

"Hit em' with Steel Wing!"

Shizu's taken way too many hits this fight. Another one, and he'll go down for certain.

"Jump back!" I shout.

Although he's drained of most of his energy at this point, Shizu manages to leap backwards just in time as the Corviknight cleaves through the air with a large, sharp wing.

"Now, take it down with Ice Beam!"

Shizu rolls to the side and uses his advantage, firing a beam of freezing energy out of his hands. The attack collides with the Corviknight's chest, gradually freezing a coat of ice over the Pokémon's body until he can no longer flap his giant wings. The frozen Pokémon's weight is turned against him as he collides with the ground, the ice covering his body shattering with the impact and leaving only a fainted Corviknight among the fragments.

I breathe a light sigh of relief as Shizu limps back into position. Rose, on the other hand, doesn't look quite as comfortable. In fact, the vacant look in her eyes suggests that she's struggling to focus on the battle at all. Before returning her defeated Corviknight, she glances over her shoulder at the Team Skull gang. Her hand hesitantly reaches down to grab her final Poké Ball containing her already-weakened Weavile. She holds the device low in her hand, staring at it for a long moment, her eyes twinkling with remorse as she does. Without saying anything, she tosses the Poké Ball into action once more.

Rose's Weavile, Whisper, holds her shoulder weakly. The Pokémon clearly can't take much more judging by her sharp panting and weak stance, yet she stands in front of Rose with her claws raised for a fight. She eyes Shizu carefully, waiting calmly for Rose's command. Greninja stares back at his opponent, waiting for my orders in much the same way. Slowly, he pre-emptively raises an arm behind him, a sharp, vicious blade appearing in his grip. My eyes stay fixed on the standoff as I draw in a breath and prepare to give the order.

"Stop!"

The word comes suddenly from Rose as her Weavile is returned to a Poké Ball. The crimson-haired girl holds the device in an outstretched hand, her head hanging low so that her face is hidden from view. Everyone in the criminal hideout goes silent. One of the grunts across the room freezes in his tracks as he goes to take another handful of popcorn.

Gradually, Rose brings her last Poké Ball close to her chest as if to hug it. My eyes widen slightly as the Unovan girl's breath hitches softly in the silence. You can almost hear the splashes as her tears hit the cold floor. When she lifts her eyes back up to meet me, there's a weak smile lifted on her face.

"That's enough. That's all I needed..." she whispers. Another tear rolls down her cheek as her smile brightens, flashing her perfect teeth. "Thanks, Sun."

There's a click as Rose clips the Poké Ball back onto her belt and she wipes the tears out of her eyes. She straightens back up as she turns toward Kane and her team, her eyes swapping carefully between their faces. "Really, do you lot still not get it? What we're doing here isn't right."

"Gah!" Kane growls, his feet stomping against the metal tiles as he strolls up to us. I return Shizu to his Poké Ball so that he can rest up a bit. "Get outta my way."

He grabs Rose's bare shoulder and shoves her forcefully to the side, leaving her to stumble back over to a group of Team Skull grunts near the Ultra Wormhole synthesiser in the centre of the room. The Team Skull boss comes to a stop and stares grimly at Lillie and I, his fiery red hair held back by a scruffy black headband. He says nothing.

I stare firmly at him. "Don't bother, Kane. Your Pokémon will just get beat up for nothing."

Kane snarls. "Like I give a damn," he breathes. "Pokémon are just another weapon I can use to beat you down."

What he says makes my stomach wrench.

"You see your Pokémon as tools?" There's a livid shiver in my tone. "...Fine, then. Fight me. Fight me and I'll show you how wrong you are."

Without saying a word, Lillie steps up to my side with a Poké Ball in her hand. The serious expression on her face tells me she wants to teach him the same lesson. Kane stares at her and grins.

"Heh... yeah. Yeah, I like that better. I'll beat the both of you down into nothing, how about that..." the criminal boss pauses, his steely gaze snapping over to someone among the crowd of grunts. "Yo, Spice. Get up here."

A beefy, orange-haired grunt steps out of the crowd. The guy's arms look pretty built, but his stubby height isn't doing him any favours if he's trying to look intimidating. He nods at his boss with a crooked grin spread across his face before stepping up to Kane's side and pulling out some Poké Balls.

Kane's crazed eyes flick back to me. "Ohoho, but I've been looking forward to giving you what you deserve for a long time now. I'm gonna beat you, and beat you, and beat you..." his growling voice trails off as his grin widens and he takes a step forward, gripping the Poké Ball in his hand so viciously that it almost looks like he might crush it. "And when I'm done with the both of you, I'll make you both watch as I rip Ultra Wormholes open left and right! Come at me, punks!"

With that, the Team Skull boss launches his first Pokémon into battle, his Houndoom emerging from his Poké Ball and sneering at us. The grunt beside him backs him up with a Machoke as the others in the room once again gather around to spectate the fight.

I feel a sharp sense of rage flow through me as I crack my knuckles and take hold of Delta's Poké Ball. My eyes turn briefly to Lillie. She stares back at me, her eyes full of calm determination as she nods to me. The two of us send our Pokémon in together, and before we know it, a fight erupts.

"Houndoom! Fire Blast that girl's Ninetales!" Kane yells.

"Machoke, Submission on the Lycanroc!"

Delta makes a break for the opposing Houndoom before I even give him an order, looking to take his adversary down before he gets the chance to hurt Lillie's Pokémon.

"Close Combat on that Houndoom!" I shout.

"Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!"

The Machoke chases after Delta with his arms spread wide open as the Lycanroc bolts across the open space. An overwhelming pulse of Fairy-type light flashes over the battlefield, slamming into both opposing Pokémon with force. The Machoke tumbles backwards off-balance as Delta leaps at the Houndoom, growling and tackling him to the floor just before the Pokémon prepares to launch a ball of fire.

Lillie sees her opportunity. "Now Ninetales, use Ice Beam on the Machoke!"

As Delta's muscles bulge and he furiously pounds his paws into the Houndoom's face with astonishing speed, Lillie's Ninetales blasts the Machoke off its feet with Ice Beam before the Fighting-type adversary even has a chance to recover from the previous attack. My Dusk-form Lycanroc leaps off of his prey, leaving the two enemy Pokémon defeated already.

A tense breath passes through Lillie's lips as she takes a step forward. "Kane, please, you can't do this! You don't understand what could-"

"I can do whatever the hell I want," Kane snaps back, interrupting her and slamming his fist against his other hand. He seizes another Poké Ball from his pocket seemingly at random before lobbing it in. "Nobody tells me or my Team Skull what they can or cannot do, ya hear!? Incineroar, Flare Blitz that Ninetales!"

I see a chance to press our advantage as the opposing grunt fumbles through his pocket for another Poké Ball. "Iron Head that Incineroar, hard as you can!"

The Incineroar's feet slam dents into the floor as he charges across the open corridor, his entire body lighting up in an engulfing shield of fire as he accelerates towards his target.

"Ninetales, dodge out of the way!"

Lillie's Pokémon waits carefully for the right moment to evade, but the sheer speed and ferocity of that Incineroar's movement suggests that he has her Ninetales locked in. That's why I've set Delta up to help the Incineroar miss. The Wolf Pokémon bounds towards his charging target while he continues on his trajectory, and while it's not that effective of a hit, the concussive force packed into Delta's steel headbutt is enough to derail the Incineroar and throw him completely off his feet. The Fire-type Pokémon sustains his momentum as he hurtles through the air, crashing so hard into a pile of crates across the room that the entire hideout trembles and dust seeps through the netting on the ceiling.

Lillie flinches slightly in response to the thunderous collision, though it only takes a moment before she recovers her confident stance. "Now Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!" she commands before turning to me for a moment. "Thank you for that," she chirps, showing a cute smile.

I return her a breezy wink. "Don't mention it," I shrug. The bright orange-haired Team Skull grunt only just managed to send out his second and apparently final Pokémon, giving me a new target while Kane's Incineroar climbs groggily out of a heap of damaged cargo crates. "Delta, Play Rough on that Haunter."

Another blinding wave of light washes over the rocky walls of the hideout as Lillie's Ninetales unleashes her attack, only briefly stunning the Haunter but doing enough damage to finish off the Incineroar after the recoil from the earlier collision left him weak. To my surprise though, the enemy Haunter manages to momentarily vanish from sight just as Delta pounces to attack.

Kane grunts out a single laugh as he grabs his next Poké Ball. "Gotta hand it to you kid, you really are a damn menace. Heh!"

I gently crack my neck to the side as I watch him send in his Obstagoon. "It's crazy what Pokémon can do when they're treated as partners and not just weapons, right?" I mutter sarcastically. "Delta, Play Rough on the Obstagoon!"

Kane's attention flicks back to his Pokémon as my Lycanroc leaps for it. "Obstagoon, Obstruct!"

Despite the strength loaded in Delta's attack, the opposing Obstagoon doesn't so much as lose his footing as he takes up a defensive stance, crosses his arms and completely blocks the move as the Wolf Pokémon's paws slam fruitlessly against the Obstagoon's guarding fists. Delta stumbles backwards as the Obstagoon executes a light counterattack with perfect timing, leaving the Lycanroc open to another attack.

"Now, hit it with Throat Chop!" Kane shouts, spitting the order at his Pokémon and grinning. "What does it matter, punk? Partner, weapon, tool... whatever you wanna call em', my Pokémon will still help me beat down whoever I please!"

Delta isn't able to evade in time as the Obstagoon sweeps his fist through the air, welting it into the Lycanroc's throat and sending him backwards. Delta growls out a choked grunt of pain, and a group of spectating Team Skull grunts hurriedly stumble out of the way as my Pokémon tumbles across the ground and slams into the railing next to them.

"Ninetales, use Ice Beam on the Haunter!" Lillie shouts, panting in focus as her stern gaze fixes on the Team Skull boss instead. "And you think the same of the Ultra Beasts? You see them only as weapons to be turned on innocent people?"

Lillie's Ninetales spears the grunt's Haunter with the sub-zero beam, finishing the Pokémon off as Delta snarls and rolls back onto his feet, ready for the next attack order.

"I see em' as exactly what they are - beasts, monsters that are bigger, badder and scarier than the Pokemon we got here in our world!" Kane bellows, his cracked lips stretching into a sinister smile as his large fists thud against his legs. "And I got everything I need to use them for whatever I want!"

I reach to my side and retrieve Feathers' Poké Ball. "So, what? You'd let people and Pokémon die?" I growl, gesturing in thanks to Delta promptly before switching him out with my signature Pokémon. Feathers joins my side once again, appearing in a flash of light as I straighten up in a fight-ready stance beside him. "All because you're nothing but a damn lunatic!?"

Kane smirks, leaning forwards as he stares into me. "Like I said, you wouldn't get it," he barks, shaking his head. "You were raised by a happy family in a bright, happy world. You never had to go to bed hungry and afraid every night like a lotta' us did. You really think this whole world is just sunshine and rainbows, huh kid? Heh! Obstagoon, Throat Chop that bird!"

"Use Dazzling Gleam!" Lillie commands.

"Feathers, strike it down with Leaf Blade!"

Once again, Kane's tactics seem to focus on sending his Pokémon charging into combat without even a second thought - not what I'd call a winning strategy. The Team Skull boss' battle style is oozing with rage; it might even be the most violent battle style I've ever seen used, even more so than that of his older brother. The level of carelessness crammed into his orders almost makes me feel sorry for his Pokémon. Despite being the leader of this gang, he's putting up way less of a fight than Rose. I'm certain she could easily beat him in a battle if she wanted to.

The gleaming blast projected by Lillie's Pokémon causes the enemy Obstagoon to falter and stagger as he charges at my Decidueye, with Feathers effortlessly thrusting forwards and cutting his wing across his opponent's body the moment he gets the opportunity. The Obstagoon collapses backwards onto the floor. Another one down.

Kane growls through gritted teeth as he returns his Pokémon, his angry glare turning on the grunt at his side. The defeated grunt raises his hands awkwardly and takes a step back.

"Ugh, sorry boss, that was all I got..."

Kane rolls his eyes and waves the grunt back. "Argh, fine. I got this one," he growls, yanking out his last two Poké Balls. "Let's make a mess of this place!"

Lillie and I glance once more at each other before turning back to the Krookodile and Sharpedo that make their entrance. These are the boss' last two Pokémon. They won't last long.

I thrust a hand out toward the Sharpedo. "Let's finish this, Feathers. Leaf Blade on the Sharpedo."

Lillie nods. "That leaves us with the Krookodile, Ninetales. Use Ice Beam!"

Kane's foot stomps into the ground. "Both of ya, use Crunch! Rip em' to pieces!"

All four Pokémon on the field make a start for each other, the two vicious members of Kane's party leaping forwards with razor-sharp fangs bared. Lillie's Ninetales comes to a stop, keeping her distance as she blasts the Krookodile away with a super-effective hit that makes short work of the Pokémon. The edge of Feathers' wing glows a brilliant green as he soars to meet the Sharpedo's challenge. A calculated movement made by the Decidueye in mid-air allows him to sidestep the enemy Pokémon's oncoming jaws, Feathers' focused eyes fixed on where to strike as he swipes and drains all of the Sharpedo's HP in a single, precise hit.

My partner Pokémon lands elegantly at my side as the two opposing Pokémon crash to the ground with a lot less grace. Once again, the hideout is devoid of Pokémon battle cries and vigorous moves, instead replaced with a near silence that's painted only with the collective sound of heavy breathing as the three of us stare at the conclusion of the fight in front of us.

I'm somewhat relieved that the battle is finally over as I brush a stray lock of hair away from my eyes and adjust my cap. My eyes turn to the crowd of silent faces gathered around.

"Well? Anyone else?"

Not so much of a whisper emerges from the Team Skull crew as Kane returns his defeated Pokémon.

"Heh... hehehah! Well, guess that's that. I enjoyed that more than I should've," Kane admits, stretching an arm out to the side until it cracks. "But don't go thinking that you stopped anything. I may have lost here, but all that matters is that I bought time. A whole lotta' time."

Lillie and I return our Pokémon as I glance up at Kane. "Yeah, you did." I flash an innocent smile at him. "Thanks for that."

The silence throughout the hideout grows thick. The Team Skull boss slowly raises an eyebrow as he stares blankly at me. "What?"

Lillie watches me curiously as I step forward, leaving the talking to me this time.

"You think Lillie and I just rolled up here with no plan? That we were just gonna try to arrest you all by ourselves?" The sound of my footsteps echoes through the base as I nonchalantly stroll up to Team Skull's boss. I shake my head. "I sent out the coordinates of this place the moment we arrived. And real soon, you're about to have a whole lot of company in here."

Kane's expression drops, though his iron gaze doesn't break away from mine. His eye twitches slightly. "Oh yeah? And who exactly should I be expecting?"

I can't resist the smirk that perks up on my face. "You tell me."

Kane growls under his breath, his eyes fixed on me as I approach. "The hell are you saying?"

"How many people do you think saw that broadcast that you sent out?"

It takes a second, but Kane's eyes widen as he puts the pieces together. His entire faces scrunches up bitterly.

"Give it up already, Kane. It's over. You just showed the people what you and Team Skull are doing here, and now the whole region knows where you are." My voice cuts sharply through the silence as I come to a stop in front of Kane and stare back at him. "How much time have you got left? Doesn't matter how much more of it you try to buy, the answer's the same: Not enough."

Kane hunches forward until his eyes are only a few inches away from mine, staring silently at me and all the while being stuck on how to respond. My steadfast gaze doesn't waver as I stare back at him, and I don't lose my ground no matter how intimidating he tries to be. I realise that Team Skull are backed into a corner now, and that condition alone makes them unpredictable. But with all of their leaders' Pokémon down, these criminals have got nothing to threaten me and my team with. Looking their boss in the eye like this is the only way to prove your strength when the time calls for it. That's something Guzma and the old Team Skull taught me years ago.

The silence builds around us over a long moment until Kane's expression finally eases up into an amused grin.

"I gotta hand it to you kid, you're the real deal. But I'm afraid you're still wrong," he chuckles. He spins around quickly, marching back over to his crew. "Jun. Do it."

The blue-haired admin's eyes hesitate, though they don't break away from the screen of the computer that he's at. "Uhh... I need more ti-" Jun's voice comes out as a low grumble, pausing as he realises the predicament. There isn't any more time. He lets out a weighty sigh. "Huh. Right."

"Don't care whether it's ready or not. We're gonna crack open an Ultra Wormhole right here, right now, and I'm gonna go make us a few new friends!"

Lillie, who has been completely silent until now, springs forward. "Please, you have to stop! You don't know what you'll do!" My girlfriend's delicate voice quivers with apprehension, but the urgency in her tone is unmistakeable. "You can't control the Ultra Beasts!"

Kane ignores her as he stares across at the Team Skull admin.

"Jun..."

There's almost no expression in his eyes as Jun pauses. His eyes fall shut lightly, and a sigh trails out of him from beneath his black bandana. "...Sure."

He taps a few keys and, sure enough, the sprawling wires connecting the white machine to several other devices around the room jolt violently to life. The silence is torn apart and replaced by a rumbling hum as the machine shakes itself awake, the noise growing louder and louder until the floor beneath us all starts to vibrate. I rush back to Lillie's side, watching with her as a blinding white laser fires out at the space in front of the device.

The crowd of Team Skull grunts back away nervously as wires start to fizz and spark. Some cover their ears as the Aether technology purrs louder, drilling a hole into the fabric of spacetime itself with a ferocity that starts to shake the entire underground base. I take hold of Feathers' Poké Ball just as the beam starts to glow even brighter until suddenly, without warning, the laser vanishes and a white, ethereal Ultra Wormhole bursts open with a shockwave that knocks everyone backward.

Lillie wraps her arms around mine for support as the two of us stumble backward, the Poké Ball slipping out of my hand and releasing Feathers as it impacts the floor. Lillie covers her mouth in an attempt to catch her gasp while we regain our footing and stare at the newly-formed interdimensional breach.

Kane's laugh roars above the other chaotic noises surrounding us. He takes a slow step towards the crackling wormhole, gazing up at it in awe. "Well there ya have it! It's high time we get some real chaos on the go!" He grins. He unfolds his arms as he turns to the crew gathered around him. "As for you lot, get back up to the cove. We've got some guests on the way, so let's throw them a proper welcome party, eh?"

An affirmative chorus of chuckles and cheers erupts from the Team Skull gang as they start piling down the corridor towards the lobby that connects to the hideout's entrance. As Rose turns to quietly slip along with them, Kane's calloused fist reaches out and seizes her by the collar of her tank top.

"Not so fast!"

The yanking of her collar chokes Rose slightly, catching her off guard as she staggers backwards. A look of shock grips her as she grabs hold of Kane's wrist forcibly. "H-Hey! What do you- agh- think you're doing!?"

Kane's fierce grin widens. "You're coming with me to help catch some Beasts, whether you like it or not!"

A trace of fear glints in Rose's eyes as she starts to struggle harder against him. "W-What!?"

Lillie slaps a hand against her mouth as she watches Kane drag the scarlet-haired girl closer towards the Ultra Wormhole.

My teeth clench tightly. "Feathers! Spirit Shackle on..."

Feathers arches his wing and draws back a ghostly arrow as my eyes dart around the place. What can I do here? Kane whips around to face me as he realises what I'm planning, wrapping his arm around Rose's neck and holding the struggling girl out in front of him like she's some kind of hostage. I could get Feathers to fire at the synthesiser, but... the wormhole's already open, what would that do? Rose's fearful eyes catch mine. I hesitate, pushing a hand out in front of my Decidueye and signalling for him to lower his bow.

"Agh! C'mon Kane, I really- mngh- don't wanna have to kick your ass right now!" Rose grunts as Team Skull's boss tugs her toward the wormhole with difficulty. She clenches her teeth, driving her elbow into Kane's stomach. "Let go of me!"

Jun stands up quickly from his desk, reaching out hesitantly. "Kane, wait, her Pokémon aren't-"

Kane manages to grunt out a laugh as he wrestles Rose to the edge of the ominous interdimensional portal. "I don't... care!" he yells, shoving the girl with all his might into the Ultra Wormhole. Kane turns to us one last time, grinning toothily at us before he too leaps into the wormhole.

Lillie grabs my hand anxiously, her eyes wide with shock as she catches my gaze. "Sun..."

I squeeze her hand and nod solemnly. "I know. No time for a break, we need to go after them. Now."

Lillie draws a tense, sharp breath in. "Are you ready?"

I answer her question by keeping hold of her hand and making a start towards the wormhole, returning Feathers to his Poké Ball as I run ahead alongside Lillie and leap hand-in-hand into the Ultra Wormhole together with her.