Chapter Text
“MOTHER!!” Lillie screamed. Everyone’s eyes fell on the largest Nihilego. It was if it had consumed Lusamine and her legs were just hanging out its mouth like a fucking keychain. But Lusamine’s eyes still had a soul, a vicious, psychopathic one, something that Satoshi swore he had seen before. The creature was hideous with that purple viscous liquid that looked like grape jelly swirling inside that massive bubble.
Man, I kinda want to pop it… Satoshi thought to himself as he sniffed the air. Blegh, it smells like rotting flesh that is probably filled with all sorts of toxins. Suddenly, Nihilego threw out all of Lusamine’s pokeball, releasing the now brainwashed Pokemon to face the group of teens. How cruel… Being controlled like that… I can’t feel their soul, that nihilego must’ve suppressed them deep down…
“We need to save Mother!” Lillie cried out as she began to chase after the fleeing Nihilego.
“Gladion, go follow your sister! We’ll take care of them!” Satoshi pushed Gladion aside, giving him a reassuring look. “Go! Lycanroc use Rock slide!!”
"Satoshi! Leave the battling to us! Follow them!" Mallow instructed as she summoned Steenee from her PokeBall. Satoshi just stared at her in disbelief.
"What do you mean follow them?! It's a family matter!" Satoshi protested. "Last I checked, I'm not part of the Aether Family!"
"Just do it!" Mallow snapped. Satoshi sighed exasperatedly before running after the siblings. On Arceus, why am I involved with family matters now? Serves me right for dating someone from a malfunctioning family I guess… Satoshi then followed them. It wasn't so hard to find the two since Solgaleo was tagging along and who wouldn't be able to spot the massive legendary lion that shone brighter than the fucking moon in such a void like space. Satoshi caught up with them.
"What are ya'll doing?" Satoshi asked as he appeared behind them.
"The river is filled with toxins- Wait… Satoshi!" Lillie jumped from the sudden realization.
"Heyo!" Satoshi giggled as he skipped to be with Gladion. "From the looks of it, it might be neurotoxins, so your mom is in danger…"
"Why are you so casual about this?" Gladion huffed as he playfully nudged his lover. Satoshi just grinned goofily. "Well, someone gotta be positive about our situation!"
"Now, it's not a good time Sato," Lillie sighed exasperatedly. Greninja dipped his water shuriken into the pits of toxins only for it to sizzle and disintegrate. Pikachu let out snicker before jumping on Satoshi's head. Solgaleo just licked its paw before activating some sort of moveset, letting a silvery glow.
"Satoshi what is Nebby doing?" Lillie asked as she picked up Snowy. Satoshi let out a laugh, "Nebby had just activated a steel type move, now it's immune to the poison river! All aboard!"
Satoshi jumped onto Solgaleo's back, followed by the Aether siblings. The legendary then gracefully glided across the poison river like it was nothing.
"I suggest that you don't inhale the toxic fumes," Satoshi reminded and the siblings immediately covered their noses. Gladion looked at his boyfriend who seemed fine and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm used to it, I grew up in a lab remember," Satoshi chuckled as Solgaleo landed on the other side of the river where the massive unit of a nihilego resided. "Not going to lie, it looks like a breast implant,"
"SATOSHI!" Lillie lightly smacked his head. "NOW IT'S NOT THE TIME TO BE SAYING SUCH THINGS!!"
Gladion just shook his head as the three of them alighted from Solgaleo's back before slowly sneaking up on the nihilego. Lusamine turned around and began yelling.
"STAY BACK!"
"STAY BACK, YOU THIEVES!"
The only thief is you, stealing our sanity. Satoshi rolled his eyes before turning to the rest. "Any idea why that sad woman is saying that?"
Lillie's shoulder slumped. "As you know, Mother had been frantically looking for these Pokemon for years. Now that she finally got her hands on one… It's practically her toy that she yearned for ages…"
So she's a childish bitch, got it. Satoshi made a mental note. He was beginning to get cranky and frustrated. All he wanted was to recover from his trauma with Lysander, now there was even more trauma building up.
"Well, we gotta pull her out before it digests her," Gladion told them his plans. He and Satoshi were in charge of distracting the nihilego so that Lillie could pull her out. It was simple right? Wrong.
"WHY CAN IT USE STONE EDGE!?!" Satoshi yelled with annoyance as Greninja (In his Ash-Greninja form) soared through the air with Satoshi and Pikachu in his grip, ultimately avoiding the impaling rocks from the ground. The ninja Pokemon placed Satoshi on a safe area before returning to battle.
"I-i'm not sure," Gladion stammered, showing a slight glimpse of vulnerability. He only referred to whatever Lusamine had researched on and that the majority of these Pokemon were Poison/ Dark types. "Silvally, use flash cannon!"
"Greninja use double team and water shuriken! Pikachu, use electroweb to trap that jellyfish looking thing!"
Lillie slowly climbed up the crystal mountain only for Lusamine to spot her and kicked her off.
"Silvally! Catch her!" Gladion ordered as the Pokemon rushed up to catch her.
Lusamine let out a shriek. "STAY BACK! STAY BACK! YOU CHILDISH FREAKS!!"
She then looked at Lillie. "Especially you! You're nothing but a pathetic baby who desperately wants everything to go back to normal… How pathetic! Can't even appreciate what your dearest mother had accomplished!"
Lillie's heart became sore. Her mother had done nothing but ruin her life. It was no wonder Gladion escaped from her. In a fit of rage, she stood up, approached the monster she once called her mother. The others tried to stop her only for their pleas to fall on deaf ears.
"You know what, LUSAMINE… You're the baby! Not me… Not Gladion! Not anyone! YOU! You are pathetic! Controlling everyone so that your ideal paradise could be created! That is absolutely saddening… You can never move on from Father's disappearance! That is weak! So weak that you kept clinging onto what was deemed perfect to you. You're not the mother I once loved, Lusamine. I fucking hate you! I hate whatever this is!
"HOW DARE YOU, INSOLENT CHILD! I'M STRONGER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!"
"If you're strong, prove it! Prove it that you can accept and move on from the grief that fell upon you!"
Lusamine gasped softly. "Lillie…"
She hesitantly reached out for her daughter only for the nihilego to swallow her completely. Everyone gasped at the sight.
"MOTHER!"
"LUSAMINE!"
Satoshi just stared in annoyance at the ultrabeast before activating his z-move. "Everyone! Stand back, we're ending this once and for all!"
Woah, my z-crystal changed… Satoshi looked at his z-ring and back to Pikachu. Alright
"Bigger than a thunderbolt… Way way bigger! 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!" Pikachu released thunderbolts in all the colours of the rainbow, striking the poor nihilego who had no chance of escaping. The nihilego spat out Lusamine before fleeing after getting electrocuted with voltage so high and even stronger current that could definitely power a small city.
"You're so full of surprises…" Gladion chuckled as Lillie went to check up on Lusamine.
"She's weak, we gotta get her back as soon as possible," Lillie muttered when Solgaleo finally arrived back.
"Now, where on Arceus did you go?" Satoshi huffed as he ruffled Solgaleo's mane. It just licked its paw before kneeling down so that Lillie can bring Lusamine on board. They then reunited with the others.
"Big sis!" Satoshi ran up and hugged Mallow before kneeling down to pat Lycanroc.
"Who's a good boy? You are!" Satoshi cooed as he ruffled Lycanroc's fur. "Come on, let's get you some rest,"
"Let's go back, shall we?"
TIMESKIP
Satoshi received a cup of hot cocoa from Kukui after getting back from the Ultra World. Everything was replayed in his mind. It was tiring.
"Papa…" Satoshi mumbled as he leaned on Kukui's shoulder. Kukui glanced at Satoshi with such gentle gaze. Gladion and Lillie were staying over since the Aether Foundation, including the Aether residences had been seized by the authorities for investigation. It wasn't surprising since Lusamine had supported a terrorist organisation in Kalos.
"Don't worry… All of you are safe…" Kukui kissed his forehead before carrying his child to the loft and tucked him in. Lillie and Gladion had just finished brushing their teeth and was about to join Satoshi. Kukui gazed at the three. It's saddening, really . The fact that they were absolutely wonderful children, only made Kukui wonder why they deserved such parents. May you have a peaceful life from now on…