The Aether Foundation Grunts Employees are now wandering around and available to be battled. Some of them actually use pre-evolutions of Pseudo-Legendaries, so I guess that makes them Elite Mooks.
Gladion tries to use the elevator to get to the lower levels, but it's not working, so we go up instead. I... actually wanted to battle that last Employee off to the side...
Oh well, at least I got Toxic beforehand.
Upstairs, we battle the last line of defense for the Aether Foundation, Faba. He... is even easier than the employees downstairs.
What a loser.
Hau says he's strong and... no, Hau, one Level 37 Hypno is not strong. That's a joke.
Faba helps the group get to the basement, though he seems to have plans in mind. Gladion also lets on that he knows a lot about this place, which Hau is curious about.
But before checking the secret lab like he suggests, Luna backtracks to the entrance, where a non-evil Employee heals her team. She also goes back to beat up the Employee she missed in the docks the first time around.
Continuing on to Lab B, defeating some guys that look like Essentia, Luna double battles some Employees with Hau, who leave without telling us anything.
Pretty competent...
Fortunately, they left their emails open, so we find out that Cosmog is an Ultra Beast that they plan on opening a wormhole with.
After checking some backstory in a side room regarding Type: Null, Luna and Co. head back to the entrance where some Aether Employees show up. Apparently, Faba told them to murder us.
...Welp.
After the battle, Gladion continues not being edgy like I thought he would be. Why aren't you hilariously edgy!?
Well, at least he's a pretty decent character so far.
Wicke shows up to greet Gladion and also heal our Pokemon. I guess she's not evil? She tells us that Lillie and Cosmog are with Lusamine in a private room elsewhere, so we have our destination.
Afterwards, we proceed on ahead to the locked door to find Faba and some Aether Employees waiting for us. Faba mentions that he planned on ambushing us due to having predicted our moves and taking the time to gather more staff to defeat us.
Hau asks if he has the key to Lusamine's room, to which he says yes. Hau then points out that if he hadn't come back, we'd be stuck and unable to continue.
After beating a Multi-Battle with Gladion as the partner followed by a real (Multi-)Battle against Faba (and some guy) with Hau as the partner, the kids shake him down for the key.
Gladion: >:(
Hau: xD
Luna: :)
(Actual dialogue.)
Intimidated by their emoticons, Faba yields to the group.
Upon entering the next room, Gladion passes by a number of Team Skull Grunts and finds himself confronting ya boi, Guzma.
It seems Team Skull was working with the Aether Foundation this whole time.
Wait... so Team Skull are actually the bad guys!? This can't be!
Battling two Grunts, Luna talks to them both afterwards.
"I'll do anything if you pay me for it!" says one. "Let's see... do you want to hit me with Hyper Beam?"
Do I look like Lance to you?
But now it's time to confront Guzma, the man who betrayed our trust.
I thought you were our boy, Guzma!
Guzma is actually pretty tough this time, with four Pokemon. His Masquerain manages to cause flinching twice in a row with Air Slash annoyingly enough, but he goes down without too much difficulty after that.
Disappointed in himself for his failure, Guzma steps aside and allows Luna to enter to see Lusamine.
Inside, we have a... rather awkward mother/daughter spat. Lusamine isn't winning any Parent of the Year awards, that for sure.
Or any Humanitarian of the Year awards.
Apparently her plan to open the wormhole will kill Cosmog.
"By the way, do you all like my collection of frozen Pokemon corpses?" asks Lusamine as we enter her lab. "I think the dead Pikachu in particular helps bring out the edge in this room."
Seriously, Lusamine, maybe calm down a little?
Deciding to destroy the whole region out of nowhere (seriously, I think Ghetsis would think this all was a bit too much), Lusamine insults Lillie some more. She seems happy to see Hau when he comes in, but has no love for her children: Gladion and Lillie.
Anyway, Lusamine pulls a Sephiroth and awakens the WEAPONs Ultra Beasts around the region, with the jellyfish appearing in the laboratory. Meanwhile, on Melemele Island, Hala and Tapu Koko fight against Major Armstrong UB02 Absorption.
But now is the time for battling!
So Hau battles Guzma, Gladion battles UB01, Lillie goes to check on Nebby.
And so Lusamine decides to deal with Luna first.
Lusamine's Pokemon are pretty bulky, but also a lot of stereotypically cute Pokemon. Fitting for her character.
They provide a tough battle all the same, and even faint Tink, but ultimately Luna prevails.
UB01 starts to escape, so Lusamine and Guzma go after it to catch it in a Beast Ball.
Speaking of balls, doesn't the main villain typically have a Master Ball in their base somewhere?
Anyway, everyone rests up with Wicke's help after discovering Nebby has evolved/form shifted(?), with Lillie sleeping in Lusamine's bed like she used to do as a kid.
The next day, Lillie has changed outfits, which is good because I always thought those clothes looked pretty silly. I decide to be nice, since her new outfit does look nice and her mom is kind of a jerk. She then does a dorky pose.
Gladion shows up to give the Moon Flute to his sister and a Master Ball to Luna. There it is.
Hau also shows up to say some stuff, and then it's off to (My Little) Poni Island.
Team:
- Lv. 48 Toxica/Salazzle [Corrosion] @ Poison Barb (Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, Nasty Plot, Leech Life)
- Lv. 48 Carrera/Magneton [Sturdy] @ Eviolite (Discharge, Flash Cannon, Thunder Wave, Tri Attack)
- Lv. 50 Nefertiti/Tsareena [Leaf Guard] @ Lum Berry (Trop Kick, High Jump Kick, Confide, U-Turn)
- Lv. 51 Soprano/Primarina [Torrent] @ Mystic Water (Scald, Moonblast, Work Up, Psychic)
- Lv. 47 Willow/A-Dugtrio [Tangling Hair] @ Amulet Coin (Earthquake, Iron Head, Rock Tomb, Sucker Punch)
- Lv. 47 Tink/Ribombee [Honey Gather] @ Big Root (Pollen Puff, Draining Kiss, Stun Spore, Dazzling Gleam)
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