Letter 26: Into the Aether

Dear Serena,

I apologize for not getting a letter out lately--we just needed some time to process just what happened when we accepted the Aether Foundation invite.

So let me start from the beginning--after we talked over the pros and cons of accepting the invite (and Brock reiterated his concerns), we decided we would accept the invite--if their cause was as noble as the invite claimed, Brock would see his concerns were unfounded.

After a quick breakfast of malasadas and fruit, we set out for the Hano Resort, just outside of Heahea City. Tarina was floored by all the amenities that the resort had to offer, but Brock had to tell her we were there for a reason, not to play.

We met the Aether Foundation envoy, a scientist named Faba, in the resort foyer. He explained to us that the Aether Foundation's mission was to protect Pokemon everywhere, and that their president had heard about our efforts protecting them from Team Skull, and wished to personally thank us. This seemed to calm Brock a little, and flattered Misty a bit--it had been some time since the president of any company or foundation wished to thank us (the Devon Co. president for me, and the Silph president for Misty and Brock) so it was a bit of a surprise.

The ride over to the foundation was uneventful, but there's no way you could get lost at sea trying to find it--it looked like a massive white obelisk in the middle of the water, with several other buildings around it.

We were met by Wicke, another scientist. After welcoming us to the facility, which was named the Aether Paradise, she explained to us that any weapons were not allowed except in emergencies and designated areas, and Poke Balls were jammed--the Pokemon inside were not for catching (we could still summon and recall any Pokemon we had with us, she assured us.

After Brock's archery gear was whisked away into a storage area (he would get it back in the event of an emergency, or when we left, Wicke said) we were taken up into the Aether Paradise itself aboard this cool futuristic elevator that would be right at home in a sci fi movie!

It really was a paradise! We were awed by the millions of Pokemon romping around, so after Wicke assured us that taking pictures of the Pokemon was welcomed and encouraged, I very nearly filled up Sparks' memory taking pictures of them all. It was no easy task deciding which ones to keep and which ones to trash, either. (I have however, made some progress on an album just for the pictures we took there--you'll be getting those very soon)

Once we were done admiring the paradise itself, Wicke introduced us to the foundation president, Lusamine.

Brock's first reaction was to literally sing Lusamine's praises, but one glance from Misty (that angry look I like to call the "tsunami look"), and he quickly decided to behave himself.

Lusamine was flattered someone would sing to her, so after introducing ourselves, she told us that she founded the foundation so rare Pokemon could be conserved and protected. While that goal sounded noble, something about it caused a sick feeling to well up in my stomach. i just assumed it was Beautiflies over seeing a company leader, and let it go.

But what happened next was proof that maybe that sick feeling was Arceus telling us that there was merit to Brock's worries.

As Lusamine continued to show us around the paradise, what looked like a portal suddenly appeared in the room, and this weird Jellicent looking thing came out of it. Lusamine told us that the Jellicent-thing was one of the Ultra Beasts we had learned about back at the Dimensional Research Facility.

Even though Lusamine told us to stay back, something in my heart told me to sing the Swanna Song to the odd being, in hopes the song would warn it away (since it is effectively a promise to cleanse evil).

So I challenged the being by singing the Swanna Song to it...and no sooner had the last "si" echoed through the paradise, did the Ultra Beast try to attack me! Luckily, the Swanna Song had created a shield around me and boosted Tintri's attack power, but I still managed to jump away from the energy wave it fired at me.

Tintri and the Ultra Beast traded blows for a few minutes, before the Ultra Beast disappeared back into the portal from whence it came. I was naturally tired from using the Swanna Song, and Tintri was tired from battling, but Brock and Misty were wondering what in the world had just happened.

Lusamine allowed us to rest in the infirmary until we were well enough to travel again, and chartered us a boat to Ula'ula Island, telling us that she admired my bravery, and if we found any more Ultra Beasts, to let her know. I told her we would do what we could, and after Brock was reunited with his gear, we set sail.

Now, we're on our way to Ula'ula Island, and it's been really quiet as we try to figure out what in the world just happened--are the ultra Beasts in fact real? Where are they coming from, and what do they want with our world? Is Lusamine and the Aether Foundation everything they say they are?

Misty assured me not to worry about it for now. Brock added that even though he too had a lot of questions, he figured we'd learn the answers soon enough.

According to my map of Alola, we should be arriving iin Malie City, which is a hotbed of knowledge and culture in Alola, thanks in part to its exchange program that has worked in Kanto and Johto both. I'm looking forward to seeing the gardens the city is known for, and Brock wants to try and find some Alolan folktales to tell in the local library.

Whatever just happened back there, it just made our vacation a lot more interesting!

Until next time,
Ash