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They dwelled within a city without light. For countless lifetimes, they waited in darkness. Others fled across different worlds and settled there, leaving the once Great City in a state of stagnation and ruin. But even still, they wait. They wait for the day their light returns, and the one who will quell the madness of a fallen deity. They wait for eo Illuminari: the Lightbringer. These were the children of the Blinding One. Those who walk amongst the stars and realms beyond: the Ultari.
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Scientific name: Ultari CaeruleusAlthough the Ultari may appear to be pale humans, there are many biological and physiological features that set them apart.
Appearance
The Ultari are somewhat taller than humans with their average heights ranging from 5.5-8.5 feet tall and are more slender due to differences in gravitational pulls on various exoplanets.
Their skin is naturally a pale blue-white color due to evolving in conditions without any natural light. Typical Ultari skin colors can range from cyan to platinum gray.
However, in areas with prominent light sources such as nearby stars, they are able to change the color of their skin due to highly specialized chromatophores that are sensitive to light.
The skin is somewhat smooth despite being composed of small scale-like structures. (D: “Contrary to popular belief, we are not descended from draconic beings.”)
Some Ultari are born with freckle-like markings on their body that are naturally bioluminescent due to the presence of photophores, but more intricate patterns are seemingly only present in those who live in areas of near or complete darkness, such as Ultra Megalopolis or Ultra Deep Sea. (S: “Although these markings are said to be rare, all four of us of the Reconnaissance Squadron have them. They just aren’t visible when we’re wearing our protective equipment.”)
A physiological trait unique to Ultari is that they almost always have gray-white irises with pupils that match the color of their hair. Individuals with polycoria are surprisingly common among the general population compared to humans, though the condition is still relatively rare.
The “hair” of Ultari is actually an external sensory organ composed of thin strands of chitin and keratin. Like their skin, this organ contains bioluminescent photophores.
Their eyes contain a thin third membrane similar to those seen in some reptilian Pokémon.
The average Ultari lifespan is 245 earth years and they age relatively slowly compared to humans due to the different rotations of various exoplanets. An Ultari’s maximum age can be up to or over 300 years old.
Anatomy
Their bones contain an increased concentration of silicone, copper, and carbon which results in a more durable skeletal structure that is less prone to fracture if injury is to occur. The bones themselves are somewhat translucent and crystalline. (Z: ”No wonder you humans always think crystal skulls belong to aliens!”)
The blood of the Ultari is naturally blue due to different trace elements in addition to hemocyanin (the same pigment compound that makes Kabuto blood blue). They are warm-blooded which means that they regulate their own body temperatures using homeostasis.
In addition to having a comparatively normal circulatory system like humans, containing a heart (unlike humans, they have two hearts), veins and blood, the Ultari also have a crystalline organ structure that may be the source of their aura detecting and slight telepathic abilities even though little is known of its true function (P: “In some Ultari communities this organ is known as the “third eye” because it allows us to quote-un-quote ‘see’ the flow of aura within natural phenomena.”)
Ultari have two sets of lungs: a larger pair in the upper part of the body and a slightly smaller pair near the center and abdomen. Because of this, Ultari have a higher metabolism rate than humans.
Some Ultari have a highly unusual circadian rhythm due to evolving in conditions without natural light and because of that they sleep in chambers full of a liquid that stabilizes homeostasis whilst resting.
Reproductive System
NOTE: Some content in this section of the archive has been censored and removed by authorization of Reconnaissance Squadron Vice Captain Dulse due to obscene content. This is a transcription of what transpired before the alterations to the archive:
”Did we really have to put this section in?””Humans are gonna be curious! They learn about their bodies when they’re young!””That’s because it's their own bodies, not those of another species entirely. And besides, there are some things we’d rather keep to ourselves.””Just like the tendrils in our-.””Zossie, I swear on the Blinding One, I will end you.”
[END TRANSMISSION]
Ultari are hermaphroditic and give live birth. Because of their unique biology, the Ultari do not have a solid concept of gender and most members of the species identify as genderfluid. (P: “I believe some humans share the same sentiments as us in regard to identity. It is truly fascinating that this concept is seemingly universal.”)
Their reproductive system is capable of morphing itself during the act of mating as it has the ability to open, close and display either the male or female reproductive organ.
When mating, [Section has been removed due to potential explicit content]
Typical Ultari gestation periods last between 8-13 months, which is much longer than that of a human’s.
When young Ultari are in embryonic developmental periods, the pointed ears and tail of their genetic ancestors are visible. (D: “We will discuss them later within the archive.”)
Abilities
One of the most notable abilities of the Ultari is that they can sense, interpret, and utilize aura at will. Though the scope of their power is somewhat limited, through aura they can telepathically communicate to nearby organisms, transmit & read memories and thoughts to others, and form psionic “links”. (Z: “These links help us connect with Ultra Beasts, like Naganadel! We also use these links during mating but Dulse won’t let me elaborate further or else he’s gonna censor this portion of the archive too.”)
Very few Ultari can radiate and harness their own aura, as the process in doing so causes a physical and mental strain on the user’s body
Comparitively, Ultari aura utilization is stronger than those in humans but weaker than in Pokèmon and Ultra Beasts.
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A note from Reconnaissance Squadron Captain Phyco: “I was initially hesitant about including this section of the archive to begin with due to the disturbing nature of the subject matter, but if one were to find these things out for yourself without any prior knowledge, you would most likely have second doubts about learning anything else pertaining to our kin and Ultra Space. It is necessary to be aware of some dangers that lurk among the stars, especially when they’re of your own flesh and blood. Or at least, they used to be.”Husks. That is the name given to those of the Ultari who have formed a parasitic symbiotic relationship with the extremely dangerous Ultra Beast known as Nihilego. Some Husks are born out of necessity due to the beast’s incredibly voracious nature, while others seemingly want to become husks on their own volition.Theorists suggest that these Ultari are afflicted with a form of spiritual psychosis and seek to be granted some form of ascension and become one with the universe, and in their mind the only way in doing so is becoming a Nihilego’s host until they eventually die due to the constant stream of neurotoxins in their bodies. Others suggest that the parasitic link is formed out of necessity in the hypothetical case of someone being stranded in the seemingly endless reaches of Ultra Deep Sea.The process of becoming a Husk involves the Nihilego attaching itself to the brain of its host and preventing them from fighting against it by enveloping them with their tentacles until the newfound psionic link between parasite and host is formed. If someone resists the process of becoming a Husk even when the process is underway, the host will most likely perish as a result due to lethal levels of toxins into the bloodstream and nervous system, unless the psionic link is severed by something strong enough to break the connection between host and parasite.But very few is known about the behavior of husks due to their unpredictability and threat level they possess. Their senses become extremely heightened. Due to the merging of two individual organisms, the host’s aura detecting and utilization abilities have increased significantly compared to regular Ultari. In regards to physical appearance, the Ultari that becomes the host for the Nihilego becomes enveloped in a crystalline and gelatinous substance that covers most of their upper body. When enveloped by the “bell” of the Nihilego, the eye and hair color of its host changes to that of the opposite color. For what reason this happens is unclear. Their arms become a pair of stinging tendrils made out of the same substance, with two other pairs on their backs. The tendrils sometimes have eye-like organs that are used to detect light and motion within the dark depths of the deep sea and on the palm of their “hands” are leech-like mandibles that latch onto prey and rob them of their vitality. Husks are very opportunistic hunters, preferring to ambush anything that gets in their way.Despite being a Nihilego’s host, husks have retained sentience and intelligence and have developed archaic societies between others of their kind and live as a swarm, even though most live solitary lives drifting amongst the sea. Personalities of Husks vary depending on the host; some can be extremely aggressive and territorial whilst others can be relatively timid (for a parasitic organism).Their emotional receptors in their brain are heightened due to the secreted neurotoxin, so these personality changes are reflective of their host and the parasite. The memories of the host and the parasite are linked temporarily, until all traces of the host’s past disappear due to brain deterioration caused by high levels of neurotoxins.When Husks are faced with an immediate threat, they sometimes enter a frenzied state, attacking anything in its path. This frenzied state can sometimes occur when they have not eaten for a particularly long amount of time. In almost all senses, Husks are empty shells of someone who was once Ultari: now void of body, mind and will.
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The Ultari have a complex relationship with the Ultra Beasts. Those who reside in Ultra Megalopolis, for example, fear the Ultra Beasts due to their unrivaled power and capabilities for destruction, vowing to rarely be with them in order to prevent another tragedy like the light-stealing incident thousands of years ago. They still utilize the powers of Ultra Beasts when developing their advanced technology and have successfully domesticated the Cosmog and Poipole lines to be used for interdimensional travel, however. Some Ultari fled to the outer reaches of Ultra Space and inhabited dimensions where ultra beasts reside in and those Ultari ultimately formed similar relationships to the UBs like trainers, harboring a mutual bond and respect for these creatures but they do not have the same concept of “ownership” like humans do and respect them as they are sapient beings. It is because of these differences that there is an extent of cultural disconnect between those of different worlds even though they’re of the same species.
Lifestyle
The Ultari are capable of living in almost any condition in Ultra Space if they meet basic survival requirements such as having breathable air and water. Most communities outside of Ultra Megalopolis live in small townships (sometimes villages) and reside in medium-sized dwellings with ample space. These Ultari live in relative harmony with Ultra Beasts and other extradimensional Pokemon that inhabit different worlds despite their alterations to land.
The familial structure varies drastically among the Ultari, some being monogamous and some being polygamous in addition to any offspring. Since their species is genderfluid, the roles of a family unit are also flexible and there is no concept of matriarchal or patriarchal leadership. All members of the family unit must provide for one another in order to ensure well-being and survival.
In order to survive in different conditions, the Ultari have developed technologies that allows them to grow their own food in designated lab areas instead of foraging and hunting.
In Ultra Megalopolis, due to the scarcity of food because of conditions without any light, they grow their own food in laboratories and bring in other edible matter from different worlds to cultivate in greenhouses. Synthetic nutritional supplements are also common substitutions if food isn’t available.
Some Ultari have to wear protective goggles in outdoor conditions due to their extreme sensitivity to natural light, but in most cases they do not. In terms of clothing, the Ultari do not have much of a concept of fashion: they wear clothing that is both functional and comfortable for whatever situation. There are exceptions, however, such as when venturing to seemingly uninhabitable worlds, proper protection and equipment is needed.
In terms of arts and entertainment, the Ultari are also highly developed culturally. Different genres of music utilizing both technology and traditional instruments have become popular across most inhabited realms, although in places furthest removed from Ultra Megalopolis, the musical sound is very different mainly focusing on choral vocals and instrumentals. One such instrument that is utilized often are flutes, which hold cultural significance due to being the earliest known methods to acquire Solgaleo or Lunala. In addition to music, the Ultari also have different games they play to pass the time (most involving logic and strategy), theatrical entertainment in the form of plays and serial dramas that are usually watched on holographic screens, and an emergence of nightlife, especially in Ultra Megalopolis. One of the oldest forms of entertainment and sporting is competitive Naganadel racing, since the Ultari don’t usually partake in Pokèmon battles.
Socio-political Structure
Their primary political and governmental system is ruled by a council with members in designated positions, such as technology, defense, and infrastructure. The High Convocation, a political assembly with the most power, is located in the heart of Ultra Megalopolis and is composed of delegates and representatives from across various realms in order to maintain stable relations with one another. However, the representative of Ultra Megalopolis is very secretive and very little about them is known outside the inner circle of the Convocation. The Ultra Recon Squad is a specialized subunit within the defense sector that is tasked with preventing inter-dimensional anomalies and getting a further understanding of Ultra Beast behavior. It was originally founded to find inhabitable worlds after the Blinding One’s fury was unleashed thousands of years ago and left the Great City with no light for several lifetimes. Much like the High Convocation, there are several subsets within the Ultra Recon Squad, such as biomechanics, engineering, astrophysics, xenobiology, and many more.
In places where Ultari and Ultra Beasts live in relative harmony, there are leaders that represent both inhabitants despite being of different species. This can be seen in places such as Ultra Hive with individual clan leaders and their “Hive-Mother”, a Naganadel matriarch that watches over the hive’s Naganadel and Poipole population. They follow a relatively egalitarian lifestyle compared to Ultra Megalopolis.
Traditions and Practices
In ancient times the Ultari revered the Blinding One, a being of pure light and radiance that illuminated all realms, but subsequent worship of Necrozma as a deity has since stopped ever since its initial escape and capture that led to the disappearance of all natural light in Ultra Megalopolis thousands of years ago. Despite the halting of the worship of the Blinding One, there is still somewhat of an oral tradition amongst the Ultari of telling stories of other worlds and what lies beyond. Some oral traditions overlap with those from our world: telling of a creator that birthed the Blinding One, a watcher of the flow of time, a protector of the stars and “the scorned one” which share striking parallels to the creation triad and Arceus. (D: “Further information on the spiritual practices, myths and religion of the Ultari will be explained further in another section of the archive.”)
The only time when an Ultari celebrates their birthday is when they are first born, and said celebration can last for several days or even up to a week in some rare cases, such as if a child is born to someone of high status or if they are the first of a generation.
There are a few special events celebrated by the Ultari but seemingly once every few hundred years, they celebrate the arrival of wild Solgaleo and Lunala from other worlds during their breeding season which happens very rarely due to their long gestation periods. This is known as the Astral Migration. During this period, Ultari may become companions with the Solgaleo or Lunala.
In some Ultari communities, it is a rite of passage to form a bond with a Naganadel and become partners with one due to their relatively tamable disposition compared to other
Ultra Beasts and their relative abundance. In order to avoid getting stung by one of the many stingers on its body, Ultari have developed an anti-venom solution to prevent any serious injuries that could occur during this rite. In communities with access to advancements in technology, there are specially designed simulation chambers that replicate the experience of riding and taming a Naganadel. After the rite is completed, individuals may receive a specially designed saddle that withstands interdimensional travel and take their first flight together as companions and form a telepathic link between the rider and Naganadel.
When an Ultari dies, there is a brief mourning period in which those of the fallen’s social circle and family celebrate the deceased’s accomplishments throughout their life and hold a vigil to pray for their aura to return to the stars in peace whilst their body is left behind. Like humans, Ultari typically wear black clothing, but the color represents light and aura fading from existence whilst also being composed of every single color on the light spectrum, metaphorically representing celebration and mourning. If an Ultari has formed a psionic link with an Ultra Beast, they take part in the mourning period as well. Sometimes their bodies are cryogenically preserved instead of being placed in burial grounds or cemeteries.
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The first thing an Ultari sees in life is darkness. Their eyes still shut and ears still deaf, they cry out. What they do not hear is the sound of joy in the voices of their parents, for they alone know how precious and fleeting life is. They do not hear the sound of their twin hearts beating and their first breaths. But they can feel something. Warmth. All encompassing and enveloping warmth. The darkness begins to fade as they see the faces of strangers look down to them, smiling. A small hand reaches towards the light and their eyes open. The mouths of the strangers begin to move. What they do not hear is their own name. This new life will be celebrated for several cycles, and then never again until they take their last breath. They look up to the stars for the very first time, yet do not feel awe or wonder basking in the endless reaches of the universe. In due time, they will grow. But for now, this new life will be cherished. The endless cycle that connects everything begins anew.
To come of age is to overcome a trial. For years, they prepare. Studying the ways of their forefathers, amassing knowledge of their teeming universe and learning how to coexist with those that walk in it. In due time, they will find their purpose. All they have to do is take the first step. The only bonds it has formed before this moment are with those of their blood. Now, a new one will be forged if they have the willpower to do so. To soar among the sea of stars on wings of violet scales and truly start your life anew: that is what this trial is. To let go of old bonds and be reborn. To walk free, but never alone.
Love is a complex thing. It is a series of bonds between one person and another that result in the two becoming one. It is a method to ensure the next generation. It is a way to know you will have someone to cherish and they will cherish you in return. Soft embraces, new songs to be sung. Though these emotions may be nothing more than chemical reactions and natural instinct, they mean something. To love and to be loved is to live. And soon enough, through these new bonds, new life will come forth. They are bound together until the end of their lifetimes.
The last thing an Ultari sees is darkness. Their eyes close as they draw their last breath, held close by the ones they bonded with. They seem to be at peace, living a long and fulfilling life. The body is left behind whilst their aura drifts among the stars once more and so the endless cycle repeats. They are laid to rest on a bed of glowing flowers, draped in a veil of gold and white. Those that they cherished mourn and reminisce on bygone days. The wings that soared by their side sing one last song to their rider. The Blinding One will guide them to realms beyond. From first breath, until last sight, light will guide the way.
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A Note from Reconnaissance Squadron Vice-Captain Dulse:
“The next sections of the archive include excerpts from our kind’s mythology, although many still dispute whether or not these events truly happened, with the exception of the Purge of Light
of course. There are countless stories told across the myriad of realms we inhabit, so it is essentially impossible to give a comprehensive list of every myth and folktale from across the stars. Luckily, there are stories that are seemingly universal for our kin and we shall begin this portion of the archive with our creation myth.”
In eras forgotten by all but the stars, the Blinding One shared its radiance with the cosmos, all realms basking in its glory as life began to emerge from the Great Void Sea. From whence the Blinding One was birthed we know not.
As life was created across all realms, the Blinding One bestowed its creations a small aspect of its vast power: Aura. Aura is what connects us all. For it is in the very stars themselves and within all life.
The Blinding One walked among its creations until they began to change. Change into beings not just of Aura but of Flesh and Mind. Across the stars, these creations morphed. They would slowly become the Ultra Beasts. Although these beings were of Flesh and Mind, they were primitive. Animalistic. But the Blinding One watched over its creations until something new emerged. Life it did not create but it was still of Aura and Flesh and Mind.
Even though the Blinding One was not responsible for their birth, these beings worshiped it as a Creator and Lightbringer. For these beings were the progenitors of the Ultari: the Zunera. The Blinding One granted them knowledge and in turn they revered its Radiance as it watched their progress from afar.
As the flow of time marched on, the Zunera began to harbor a great and prosperous civilization. Yet they yearned for something more to give them purpose. At their behest, the Blinding One sundered the skies and tore a rift amongst the stars leading the Zunera to other worlds in which to spread civilization and to then discover the Ultra Beasts. Some would learn to walk among them. Others would fear these creatures, for they understand not of their true natures. When the Zunera first walked through the rifts in time and space, the Ultari were truly born.
The Ultari would then make a vow, a covenant between the Blinding One and its children: “If you lend us your power we shall revere you for eternity. However if this bond is severed and we turn our backs on your radiance, unleash your judgment and we shall begin anew.”
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There was once a writer of many songs who wandered across different realms. From the Great City to the distant wilds, they ventured and shared their music with the world, their melodies echoing throughout the universe. These songs reinvigorated those who heard it, giving them a sense of fleeting joy long after the tune had ended. After their song was done, they would move on to the next world.The composer was not alone in their travels, however. A stray child of the stars had followed them when they first set out to share their music with the world, seemingly intrigued by the soothing sounds it had heard.Although it wasn’t of their kin, the songsmith still took care of the small creature made of stardust. It was because of its ability to open rifts between realms that they were able to share their music with other worlds. The writer of songs and their companion had been walking amidst different realms for many cycles, nearly half of their lives trying to spread their songs to the masses. It brought the people joy, but the musician was beginning to have their doubts. Was there truly nothing more to do with their life but be a wanderer? They had left their homeworld behind in order to pursue their calling, but all dreams came to an end.And even if they had abandoned their life as a wanderer, there was still the astral child that followed them around. If they left it behind, it would surely perish because the only thing it was capable of was opening up rifts between realms, and the untamed wilds of Ultra Space were perilous indeed.So, the writer of songs made a decision: they would put their life as a wanderer on pause in order to take care of the child of the stars. They would still write melodies, but only for their ears and the child only. They lived a life of seclusion and peace. But that peace was short-lived. One day, many cycles later, the writer of songs went out to forage for berries for the celestial child only to find it unmoving. It lay there motionless and seemingly unalive. They tried to move it, but it refused to move due to its immense weight. They looked at the child with confusion and sadness.
“What has happened to my companion? Why do they not draw breath? O, Blinding One, what have I done…”
The writer of songs prayed and begged for a solution to bring the child of the stars back. They asked a shaman of the Blinding One to heal it, but that didn’t work. They used many different kinds of medicine on the cocoon, but it didn’t work. In this moment of desperation the writer of songs realized that the child of the stars was not sick; it was asleep. When it walked the stars with the writer of songs, its energy was seemingly boundless.But now, it lay silently, harnessing the energy and aura around it as it breathed. Once again, the writer of songs had to find a way to wake it from its slumber.
“The reason why the child of the stars traveled with me all this time… It wasn’t just because it trusted me, it was because of the songs I shared with it and other realms. I know now what I must do.”
The songsmith then decided to forge a set of instruments that had the ability to resonate across different realms, one a sterling silver and the other of glistening gold: the first Sun and Moon flutes. The writer of songs did not play any other instrument, they traveled different worlds playing solely the flute, the sound of its melodies echoing on the wind. If different realms could hear the tune from afar, then surely the sleeping cocoon could as well. Under the veil of the night sky, the writer of songs began to play a simple melody. A song only composed of eight notes, yet resonated through their very core as they played them. They continued the melody, expanding upon the first handful of notes and turning it into something new.In that night of fleeting silence, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of an echoing flute, a desperate plea to bring back a friend from a seemingly eternal slumber. When the song came to a close, the writer of songs looked down at the seemingly lifeless chrysalis. It seemed to still not draw breath, until it began to glow with an illuminating light and float up from the ground.Something was emerging. The child of the stars was waking up.The black mass at the center of the cocoon began to open its eyes and in an instant it seemingly shattered. In its place, a creature with crescent shaped wings and golden embellishments on its glowing body stared at the writer of songs with its incandescent eyes.The patterns on its wings and entire body seemingly looked like a small galaxy. The writer of songs had seen others like it, but they didn’t know that the child of the stars and the one that calls the moon were one and the same.
That song… It hath awoken me. I hath feared that being without others of my kin, I would stay in that form forever. You hath provided for me and given me strength once more. I am indebted towards your kindness.
“And what is it that you ask of me, O wings of the moone?”
Share your songs with all realms once more. Your gift will bridge the gap between our kin: Ultari and beast. This song has echoed throughout a myriad of worlds, and others will follow in your footsteps. The song of the stars is one found within us all. Use it to call upon those from beyond, and we shall answer the call or emerge from our long slumber.
“Does this mean you wish to form a link with me?”
Indeed. You who hath called me your closest companion, I shall remain with you until you draw your last breath. For in this moment, we are one.
The writer of songs climbed atop the crescent-moon beast’s back as they began to soar under a starlit sky, a rift opening in the distance. It was then that they left their life of seclusion behind them and continued to share their melodies with other realms. Those melodies would be passed on from generation to generation, seemingly ingrained in both the blood of Ultari and celestial beasts.That is how one of the first links between rider and beast was formed, or so they say. Replicas of the ancient Sun and Moon flutes would be given to mankind in the far future, so that their knowledge would be passed on as well. The song of the stars echoes within us all, a primal melody that soothes the mind and aura.
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Thousands of lifetimes have passed since the Zunera first walked across rifts in the stars. The Ultari civilization would become scattered across different realms, however the most prosperous of them all was the Great City with the Tower of Light at its center, where the Blinding One dwelled.They utilized advanced technologies that harnessed the energies exerted by Ultra Beasts to create great spires that tore into the heavens. They wielded power almost equivalent to the Blinding One, and yet there were some Ultari who were ambitious and sought out more power. Power to overthrow the Blinding One, despite knowing the consequences of breaking the sacred covenant.Their civilization was one bathed in light, so if one controls the light one controls the realm. One day, a group of Ultari were headed towards the Tower of Light to pay tribute to the Blinding One. Confused by this gesture, the Blinding One accepted their offerings.But this was no act of worship. This was an act of betrayal. The Ultari bound the Blinding One into binds that it could not break, a sphere of impenetrable glass and metal. It screeched out in agony.
You shall pay for your insolence! Do you remember not the oath your forefathers swore?
They did not listen. Instead, they conducted horrible experiments on the very deity they once worshiped, pushing its power to its very limit. It was with this act that the Great City would have limitless energy and become an eternal civilization.However, the prison containing the Blinding One could not take the strain of its power much longer and it broke out. Soaring to the top of the Tower of Light, it let out a sonorous roar that echoed across the cosmos as it gathered up its remaining energy.
Your kind hath broken the covenant! To turn your backs on me is to betray your deity! Now I shall sunder the skies themselves and cast my judgment!
The Blinding One began to amass a blazingly radiant mass of energy brighter than all the stars in the skies combined. And unleashed it upon its subjects. The people below began to panic in terror, some fleeing upon the backs of Ultra Beasts to different realms. Others accepted their fate, that they were to suffer the sins of the few for the many.An undeniably blinding light swallowed the Great City. This was the full force of its power. After it dissipated, the Blinding One’s body began to shatter, its fragments scattering across the universe. To their surprise, the Blinding One’s judgment did not destroy them. But then they looked up to the heavens to see a starless sky.What the Blinding One had done was harness all the light for itself, essentially stealing the one thing that made the Great City so prosperous. In horror, the Ultari cried out asking why their deity had been blinded by such fury.
Gaze upon your surroundings, for I hath unleashed the Light That Burns the Sky. This is your punishment. This is my judgment. Your kin and descendants shall suffer in this darkness until the end of days as retribution for your betrayal.
As the fallen deity’s rage subsided, there were Ultari who began to once again seal the Blinding One within the Tower of Light with the little remaining power they had harnessed from it. Except the Blinding One produced no light nor Aura. It was a being of prismatic darkness, the very antithesis of what they had once revered, a husk of its former self.This being was no Lightbringer: it was a Lightdevourer. It lay entrapped by its bindings waiting once more to unleash its fury amongst all realms, plunging them into an eternal darkness and stealing their world’s light as an act of vengeance for the Ultari’s betrayal of breaking a sacred vow.The eras following the purge of light was that of seemingly endless strife. Those who still revered the being of pure radiance clashed against those who saw it as nothing more than a monster that brought ruin to their civilization and the Great City was torn apart due to this conflict. The land and sky grew bare and cold, becoming nigh inhospitable and in turn countless people perished as a result.Just like the Blinding One, the Great City became a hollow shell of its former glory, no longer bathed in illuminating light but in complete darkness. There were those who purposefully sealed themselves in cryosleep chambers, hoping to one day wake up in a realm bathed in light like their ancestors. But their coveted light would not return for thousands of years. In the lifetimes that followed, the Ultari of the great city would try to develop and find ways to bring back what they once lost, and in a way they succeeded. Though the stars in the sky did not shine, they created artificial light sources using their ingenuity and technological prowess. Against these insurmountable odds, the Ultari of the Great City endure.
NOTE: the descendants of [CLASSIFIED], [CLASSIFIED], [CLASSIFIED] & [CLASSIFIED], those who initially betrayed Necrozma [DATA LOST] years ago have formed a generational order of Ultari dedicated to scouring other worlds for potential solutions to restore light to Ultra Megalopolis known as the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron. This squadron has since been expanded to prevent any dimensional anomalies that could potentially occur.
The device that was used to seal Necrozma in its frenzied state and harness its power for use is very reminiscent of an object known as a [DATA LOST] Sphere, a hypothetical machine capable of utilizing the energy of stars.
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The age of the Blinding One has come to passShattered and broken, the deity lay like broken glassIts fury, unendingTo the skies once more, heavens rendingThe devourer of light is freeReturning to the astral seaThe scourge of the stars, free at lastTo repeat a tragedy of the forgotten pastIt hungered for the light of other realmsThough still broken, its power overwhelms To the skies were those who fought backAgainst the fallen god, clad in blackTo another realm they fellTelling of this beast to quellAsking for a ruler’s aidA connection between worlds was madeThose from the stars, those of the landVowing to make their only stand They marched to the peak of an altarPraying that they shall not falterThose of two worlds sung an ancient songCalling for something beyondOne who called the moon took flightEmerging from the endless nightThose from the stars called upon the sunHoping to stop the raging Blinding OneThe astral beasts and fallen god clashedWing and tooth, fang and claw thrashedThe lunar one fell to the landThe forgotten god grasped it in hand The beast cried out, echoing in painHad all their efforts been in vain?The fallen god’s might had surgedAs their souls became one and mergedBeholding unholy wings of dawnThe fight still had to carry onThough this land too was one without lightThose of two realms fought with all their might And so roared did the beast of the sunCharging its radiance toward the Blinding OneOpening a rift between the starsShattering an interlinked soul, leaving them scarredThe wings of the moon was free once moreTurning the changing tides of warScourge of the universe, pillager of lightIt could stand up not to their combined might And so once more the husk was sealedYet only one realm remained healedThis endless cycle shall repeatWhen those from different realms again shall meet
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“Au’aa tha sirai sayun a’a ki eo astrai un vhikanu. Vha xi teyan na au’aa. Un rhi’nè vha takłani esa, savū au’aa yanti ki eo astrai’ni rhi’nè tayra. Nhi a’a tha au’aa se vangi rayu eo inra kayo’astrai. Au’aa na’x ezoa. Ezoa na’x au’aa. Ta eo Illuminari ezoa aia vaxeng“
Aura is what connects us all to the stars and beyond. We are born of aura, and once we pass on, our aura returns to the stars once more for all aura is borrowed from the vast universe. Aura is light and light is aura. May the Blinding One light our path.(Words of an ancient Ultari manuscript)The language of the Ultari, known to us and native speakers as Ultari’i, is spoken widely across the reaches of Ultra Space in addition to the Common tongue spoken by humans. The language itself has been spoken and written for thousands of years and records of its existence predating the foundation of Ultra Megalopolis have been found. Though the written language has undergone many changes over the course of thousands of years, the spoken tongue is relatively the same as it was so long ago. Some call Ultari’i “the language of the stars” due to its prevalence across different dimensions.
Pronouns:
1st person singular
nai
2nd person singular
eru
3rd person singular
sani
1st person plural
vha
2nd person plural
eruki
3rd person plural
sanki
Possessive determiners:
1st person singular
iri
2nd person singular/plural
eruni
1st person plural
aia
3rd person singular/plural
sanvi
Verb Stems:
Singular
Plural
Present
no affix: “Nai elhra”(I sing)
suffix -nai: “Vha elhranai” (we sing)
Past
prefix ku-: “Nai ku’elhra.” (I sung)
prefix ku- & suffix -nai: “Vha ku’elhranai” (We sung)
Future
prefix ti-: “Nai ti’elhra.” (I will sing)
prefix ti- & suffix -nai: “Vha ti’elhranai” (We will sing)
Numbers:
0
nil
1
rhi
2
tao
3
na
4
vhi
5
xan
6
aruz
7
tanū
8
ok’va
9
tali
10
axtav
100
axtavi
1000
axtavir
Ultari'i-Common Dictionary
(Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of every word used in the Ultari’i language but rather a list of commonly used words)
a’a
all
aai
sky
akhyi
mountain
anki
child
astrai
star
at’ke
flute
au’aa
aura
aumat
mother
aunax
parent
auvak
father
auxav
sibling
elhra
sing
eo
the
ezoa
light
eyfi
hope
gheia
dusk
ka
this
kaia
dawn
kayo
sea, ocean
kayun
free
khamu
among
ki
us
ikal
love
ikal’te
mate, lover, partner
il’e
no
ilu
see
inra
vast
ize
how
mas
new
na
of
na’x
is
niithlani
ruins
nri’yu
dance
oktaia
forest
olis’a
city
raha
song
rava
from
raviu
friend
raxaya
life
raza
night
razhatx
darkness
rerti
death
saelu
day
siai
where
sikai
who
simai
which
simak
village
sirai
what
sivai
when
sixai
why
taimaxul
endless
tanui
until
terranki
human
teyan
born
tsan
flight
tseya
cavern
ul’tura
beast
ulux
planet, realm, world
un
and
varash
lost
vangi
return
vikxa
profane word with no clear translation
za’
hive
zauui
connect
znai
not
Useful phrases
Nerxal’i: HelloVasxal’i: GoodbyeIri tsura na’x: My name isIze vak eru?: How are you?
Siai vak eru rava?: Where are you from?
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USER HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION BY THE ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON TO VIEW THIS DOCUMENT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLASSIFIEDA Brief Overview of notable Ultari Inhabited Worlds across the reaches of Ultra Space, their geography, flora and fauna, population and other factors: compiled by Reconnaissance Squadron Field Researcher ◼️◼️◼️
Caecilius N800 (Ultra Megalopolis)
Also known as: The Great City (Ulu-olis’a Megolia)Current Population: 20.5 million inhabitants (highest population density since the Purge of Light)Geography: Due to the constant usage of this realm’s previously bountiful resources, the land of this realm has either become all but barren or enveloped by the continent-sized city that is the primary homeworld of the Ultari. Glossy black rock formations akin to obsidian have been spotted on the surface of Ultra Megalopolis, indicating that billions of cycles ago volcanic activity formed the surface of this realm. There are very few of the pristine wilds remaining that once sprawled across Ultra Megalopolis before the rapid and continuous expansion of the Great City had begun, but even still they are on the brink of collapse. The land itself has been reshaped by the people that have inhabited this realm for thousands of cycles. The city structure of Ultra Megalopolis is divided by different sections and subsections that are defined by how close these regions are to its center, that being the Tower of Light. Most of the residential buildings are concentrated near one another and are organized into units, some being composed of thousands of residences in one structure. In addition to these complexes, there are residences that are underneath the central city’s surface and were initially created as protective measures in case there was any destructive Ultra Beast activity. Some notable non-residential areas of Central Megalopolis besides Megalo Tower and URS HQ include the campus of the Exalted Akaedemia of Ultra Megalopolis, the realms’ finest institution, the Seat of the High Convocation in which their meetings are held, and various bio-labs that often rear specimens that are befit of interdimensional travel or companionship (or oftentimes the latter).Non-residential city sectors are defined by their purpose, such as the Energy Sector, Agri Sector, Engineering Sector, Biomechanic Sector, so on and so forth. As one gets farther away from the Tower of Light, the residential areas are comparatively smaller and the illuminated streets of Central Megalopolis seemingly fades away due to this area being associated with those living in relative squalor compared to those in the heart of the city. This region is known as Purlieus Megolia: the Great City’s Edge in the Ultari tongue. Some say that this part of the City used to be the ancient capital of the planet before the construction of Megalo Tower, though scholars and planetary historians have yet to confirm this claim. There are currently reconstruction efforts taking place in the Central Sector and all outlying sectors that were effected by the Blinding One’s rampage after its initial escape.Fauna: Very few native life-forms remain in the wild, however, the Ultari have successfully domesticated species such as Cosmog and Poipole. Ultra Beasts such as Xurkitree have since been imported due to their ability to conduct high amounts of electrical energy and are utilized by power plants, though links with these organisms are prohibited due to the fact that they are solely there to harness their energy to keep the Great City alight.
Vespera NP804 (Ultra Hive)
Also known as: Ulux-na-Akhan’zai (Ultari’i Lit. Translation: Realm of Hive Dragons)Current Population: 850,000Cycle Period: 507 daysNatural Satellites and Nearby Stars: Vespera NP804 itself is a natural satellite orbiting a massive gas giant known as Porphyrion approximately 0.5 AU away. This realm is a part of a binary star system and has a small moon orbiting its perimeter called Terpsichore. Geography: Despite its namesake, Ultra Hive is not solely composed of Naganadel colonies. The geography of this region is incredibly diverse and it is because of this diversity that this realm contains one of, if not the largest known Naganadel and Poipole concentrations. There are great swaths of forest seemingly stretch out for miles on end with towering trees with bioluminescent foliage. Rolling hills and plains dotted with peculiar hexagonal rock formations. Mountains that seemingly scrape into the heavens above. Vast canyons that lead towards cliffs overlooking the sea. Of all the inhabited realms, Ultra Hive is known the most for its natural beauty. Flora: The plant life across Ultra Hive is incredibly varied, ranging from thorn-covered vines, intricate fungal structures the size of trees, trees the size of skyscrapers and glowing flowers that seem to only grow during one season out of the entire planet’s solar cycle. Further detail can be found in archives pertaining to plant life across different realms found here.Fauna: Although they can be found essentially anywhere, this is the most populous realm where wild Naganadel dwell. Other types of Ultra Beasts have been spotted in this region, but the Poison Pin beast seems to have an advantage living here as opposed to other species.
On Naganadel Subspecies: Due to their relative abundance across different realms in Ultra Space, some populations of Naganadel have become specialized in living in a specific type of environment for their entire lives, as opposed to the general adaptivity of regular Naganadel. These subspecies range from being uncommon to extremely rare, and many a field researcher wishes to come across one of the rarer subspecies in order to get a better understanding of their behavior.
Scarlet Subspecies: This subspecies lives in desert areas and has evolved to adapt to the harsh conditions by trading their ability to fly in favor of living in a subterranean lifestyle in elaborate underground hives made of clay and sand. Their wings have turned into powerful forelegs that allow them to burrow efficiently and the hive-mothers are entirely flightless and lack the winged legs of drones. They get their names from their bright red scales. Despite not being poison-type, they have an incredibly potent sting that is somehow more painful than a normal Naganadel sting. The chemical compound released by their sting gives off an intense burning sensation that can leave anyone afflicted by it in pain for several weeks. Like most members of the species, they are omnivorous, have specialized pharyngeal jaws with retractable fangs and compound eyes.
Flower Weaver Subspecies: This Naganadel subspecies gets their names from their mating ritual in which they construct intricately woven patterns made of plant matter in order to attract mates and are often seen adorning their horns with flowers or vines. They are also known to initiate in “sky dances” in order to further establish a bond between mated pairs. Unlike most Naganadel subspecies, they are entirely herbivorous, preferring to feed on fruits, plant nectar, and flowers. Of all the Naganadel subspecies, they are the most sociable. When laying eggs for their brood, they gather nearby foliage along with large flower petals, and create small individual structures known as nest cells that also contains nectar and other food for them to eat when they hatch, so that the egg can comfortably develop into a Poipole inside.
Jeweled Subspecies: Covered in glistening teal and blue scales, the Jeweled subspecies is a master of navigating the seas and is thought to be the only aquatic subspecies of Naganadel as most live in places with ample amounts of land. Their specialized stinger has been repurposed to shoot concentrated blasts of water in order to propel themselves forward and strike down prey. They spend most of their lives in the water, only venturing to seaside cliffs in order to breed and reproduce. Unlike other Naganadel species, they are solitary and take part in a somewhat disturbing behavior: brood parasitism. They lay their eggs unsuspectingly in the hives of other Naganadel, hoping to take up the hive’s resources instead of those from the actual brood. However, most hives are quick to notice if an unfamiliar egg or larva has arrived and often kill the young because of their infiltration. If they live to adulthood and evolve into Naganadel, the cycle repeats.
Culture: The Ultari of Ultra Hive live amongst Naganadel as if they were their equals. Their society is primarily composed of small clans that are scattered across the surface of the realm, being led by both an Ultari clan leader and the matriarch representative of the clan’s Naganadel population, known commonly as eo Za’aumat (hive-mother). They respect the fragile balance of aura between living things above all else.
Cvysaor K798 (Ultra Forest)
Current Population: 150,300Cycle Period: 454 daysNatural Satellites and Nearby Stars: Cvysaor K798 is a part of a binary star system and has 3 moons in its orbit. Geography: The undergrowth of the forest is not made out of soil, but rather fine grains of sand that appear to take the form of intricately lined patterns. Jagged rocks that are the result of Kartana honing their blades can also be seen throughout the reaches of the seemingly endless maze of forests. Flora: Ultra Forest as a habitat is seemingly ruled by plant life and their ability to grow exceedingly fast utilizing the light energy of the realm’s binary suns. Ferns, flowering shrubs, bamboo growths and a wide variety of tree species thrive in temperate conditions, and no other type of tree has such a biological and cultural significance to this realm than the ironwood tree. Ironwood trees naturally spawn Kartana when the conditions are right and without their existence, Kartana as a species would not exist either. Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld for the Ultra Beast Kartana. Culture: Peculiarly enough, the Ultari are not the only forms of intelligent life that live in this realm: humans inhabit Ultra Forest as well, although they are seldom seen. According to a previous field researcher, humans came across this world after their world was seemingly destroyed in a natural disaster of unprecedented scale many cycles ago and made contact with the Ultari living on the planet’s surface. Due to their interaction, a cultural exchange of sorts was formed and some aspects display traits from regions of Terra (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh) and Ultari culture and mixed them together to form something completely different. The people of this world speak a mix of the Terran language, Ultari’i, and the tongue of Kartana (which is supposedly Terran but in reverse). They live in arboreal dwellings among ironwood trees and communities are led by “blademasters”, those who speak for the Kartana, Terrans and Ultari and vow to protect the forest with their life.
Kalikrates P795 (Ultra Desert)
Current Population: 31,400Cycle Period: 257 daysNatural Satellites and Nearby Stars: Kalikrates P795 has two natural satellites in its orbit and is the second closest realm in its star system to its singular sun. Geography: The surface is covered in sandstone structures and naturally formed monoliths embedded with turquoise colored gemstones in addition to a typical desert environment. Some oases have been observed, but the concentration of water on this world is extremely limited and is seemingly only found beneath the surface in groundwater reservoirs and underground rivers. Flora: Despite the extremely harsh conditions of the surface, plant life has managed to get by, albeit in minimal biodiversity. The only plants that seem to manage to survive here are succulents, cacti and shrubs. Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Pheramosa.Culture: The Ultari who migrated to Ultra Desert are seldom seen. Rumor has it that all the inhabitants are “beautiful individuals” due to the Pheramosa of this world deeming others who don’t fit their standard of cleanliness and beauty as being “impure”. In accordance with their draconian ways, they live by a code of order and purity. Despite their conditions, the Ultari of Ultra Desert live in elaborate underground cavern systems due to the extreme heat of the surface.
Peristhenes B794 (Ultra Jungle)
Current Population: 122,450Cycle Period: 915 daysNatural Satellites and Nearby Stars: Peristhenes B794 has 4 natural satellites in its orbit and is a part of a tertiary star system. Geography: The entire planet seems to be enveloped in an extremely lush jungle, except for the massive volcano at its very center. When one thinks they’ve reached the top of the canopy, they are met with a peculiar sight: trees that look like people flexing their muscles. Experts in the field of xenobotany are still trying to ascertain why such these massive trees look the way they do. Could it be from the intervention of Ultari? Or do they naturally grow that way? Flora: See above. Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Buzzswole. Culture: Much like the beasts that inhabit this realm, the Ultari who live here only follow one rule: survival of the fittest. They live a relatively archaic lifestyle and focus on honing their strength and bodies in order to live in the extreme conditions of the jungle.
◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ G799 (Ultra Ruins)
Current Population: [DATA LOST]
Cycle Period: [DATA LOST]
Geography: Remnants of a long-gone civilization. Everything appears to be destroyed or in ruins. Some similarities between ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ and this realm have been proposed (could potentially be a dead-end timeline for ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️).Flora: [DATA LOST]
Fauna: There is only one creature that inhabits this wasteland. It consumes anything and everything in its path until nothing remains. Do not engage this life-form at all costs. If it initiates combat, strike back with all the power you have and if you fail to survive, offer a quick prayer to the Blinding One before your life fades away in its maws. Culture: [DATA LOST]
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A note from Reconnaissance Squadron Ensign Soliera: Although the previous section of the archive discussed realms that are inhabited by Ultari and other intelligent life-forms, I believe it is also important to discuss the other regions of Ultra Space that are just too hard for our kind to properly survive and thrive in. Whether it be from environmental factors, the biochemical makeup of a realm or the type of Ultra Beast inhabiting these worlds, it is unsafe to stay in these regions for a particularly long amount of time without proper equipment. That is why the exploration of these realms by anyone outside of the Reconnaissance Squadron is strictly prohibited, unless given specific instructions or permission from an upstanding member of the organization.
Terminus N793 (Ultra Deep Sea)
Geography: A seemingly endless maze of underwater cavern systems, only illuminated by the faint glow of crystals embedded in the walls of rock and stone found all over this realm. Hydrothermal vents provide some semblance of warmth in these extremely cold conditions by expelling nutrients and chemicals into the “atmosphere” of this world. Although this realm is seemingly entirely underwater, there are traces of air to be found on the planet, but breathing it in is ill-advised due to the high concentration of chemical compounds that can cause someone to go into anaphylactic shock when inhaled for prolonged periods of time. Brine pools and thermal springs can also be found, peculiarly enough. In some places, the gravitational and magnetic pull of the planet causes large pieces of rock to levitate, resulting in an otherworldly sight: floating islands. Flora: Bioluminescent algal blooms are common sights in the “twilight zone” of Ultra Deep Sea, but in the areas with extremely low levels of light, plant matter is exceedingly hard to find. Although they look like strange flowers, Nihilego polyps often latch themselves onto the surface of cavern walls before maturing into their adult form and are advised to be stayed away from. Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Nihilego. As most of us know, they are an exceedingly dangerous parasitic organism that produce incredibly potent neurotoxins and are known to form forceful psionic links as an act of parasitism. Although this section of the archive is entitled “Uninhabited Realms”, there are Ultari and humans that live here but are nothing more than hollow shells of their former selves being controlled by a parasitic entity. Eulampios X796 (Ultra Plant)Geography: A realm of constant thunderstorms and lightning strikes, yet no rainfall has been observed. Large black monolithic structures tower over the land below which appear to glow every time a bolt of lightning reaches the surface. Despite the constant storms, the surface of this realm never encounters the problem of wildfires because of a lack of plant matter found on the realm. Instead of using other means of energy consumption, the organisms here are entirely dependent on nutrients found in metals in the ground and harnessing electrical energy as means of consumption. In the distance, a “forest” of sorts can be seen due to the glowing heads of the Ultra Beasts that live here acting as a means of natural light because of the constant obstruction of nearby stars.Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Xurkitree. This peculiar organism adapts to the ecological niche of plant life due to the lack of any plant matter on the surface of the realm to begin with. They begin and end their lives ingrained in the planet’s surface absorbing any and all electrical energy sources it can in order to sustain itself and survive. Some field researchers have noted that Xurkitree are sociable creatures and communicate with one another with a series of flashing light patterns that course through their entire body.
Menophilos C797 (Ultra Crater)
Geography: This realm is composed of rolling hills, valleys, and geothermal geysers. Because of the constant underground volcanic activity and the gasses Celesteela emit when “lifting off”, the sky is a yellowish hue and the air is extremely toxic. Root-like protrusions in the ground are also visible and field researchers suggest that they help keep developing Celesteela embedded in the ground before they eventually mature and migrate to other worlds. Like the name of the realm suggests, there are countless craters scattered across the surface of this planet of different origin: some are remnants of newly emerged Celesteela, others caused by geothermal springs and some even being the result of meteoric impacts. Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Celesteela. Despite the seemingly inhospitable conditions, Celesteela in Ultra Crater thrive due to the presence of mineral-rich soils that they envelop themselves in for most of their lives (some specimen have been reported to be over 500 cycles old!) The “arms” of this organism assist it in its flight capabilities and stores a flammable source of fuel within a specialized organelle found within the protrusions. They live relatively sedentary lives, remaining motionless until it is time for them to leave their homeworld and migrate elsewhere with others of their kind.
Astypalaea S805 (Ultra Remnants)
Geography: A vast expanse of temperate woodland and stone structures scattered across its undergrowth, this realm appears to have all the right conditions for Ultari to inhabit it, and yet there is seemingly no trace of any modern civilization aside from the countless archaeologists drawn here by promises of relics from bygone eras. According to field researchers, this region of Ultra Space shows signs of one of, if not the earliest traces of Ultari civilization, making them believe that this was one of the first realms they had ever inhabited. Some of the stone structures in the forest are natural, while others are hidden under thick layers of vines and ferns, remaining untouched for countless cycles. Peculiar artifacts have been recovered from this realm as well: a stone tablet with what appears to be the earliest known form of written communication (still undecipherable) and a clay statuette of the primeval and ancient form the Blinding One took long before its shattering. There is still much speculation as to what caused the ancient civilization to become all but a forgotten memory and collapse. Was it plague? A natural disaster? Or was it simply because our ancestors migrated to different realms? Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Stakataka. They are colonial organisms composed of 150 individual cube-like creatures that have seemingly formed psionic links with one another in order to properly function as a single unit. Stakataka are relatively docile, unless provoked, which normally happens whenever someone tries to sit atop it thinking its simply a pile of rubble left behind from ruin excavations. They will shake anyone who dares to do so and once they are deterred, they will return to slumbering amongst the ancient forest they call home.
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Log Entry No. 1
It is officially my first day as a field researcher for the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron. After undergoing rigorous amounts of training, I am finally able to pursue my lifelong interest of understanding the behaviors of different creatures across different realms. At first I thought there would be some easier assignments to ease me into becoming a researcher due to my lack of prior experience, but that was further from the truth. My supervisor wished for me to observe the behavior of a nascent Ultra Beast as my first objective in my field. The creature I was assigned to observe and “take care of” is peculiar indeed. Its actually somewhat cute in a way, but I needn't form any emotional attachments to the sentient cosmic dust cloud so early on in my research. I know in some regions of Ultra Space, watching over these beings are seen as a great honor but at the same time it’s extremely time-consuming. Just how long is this observational log going to take? For now, I will do all that I can to properly observe the behavior of this Specimen C-789, or Cosmog as others call it.
Log Entry No. 2
If the ancients truly called this specimen the child of the stars, they’d be correct: it does indeed act like an infant. It has only been one day since I was assigned to be this Specimen C-789’s primary caregiver and the creature already sees me as such. Despite that, it almost seemingly wants to get into perilous situations when unattended even for a brief moment and after it realizes that what it’s doing might endanger itself, it begins crying. Loudly. If anything were to predate on it (hypothetically of course), it’d essentially be helpless because it has no means of defending itself besides flailing about aimlessly and of course I won’t let anything like that happen. Hopefully, this creature’s curiosity should prove that it has some semblance of intelligent thought, even though in its current state it acts like it only has a singular brain cell.
Log Entry No. 5
Only after a few days has Specimen C-789 finally began to fully gain my trust. I still don’t know if this behavior is common amongst others of its kind but I do find it peculiar that it’s so…how do I put this…friendly. Ultra Beasts are creatures that wield terrifyingly strong amounts of power and for so long, we’ve feared them for it. But yet when I observe Specimen C-789, it just seems harmless. Maybe it’s because its still in its early developmental period and a long ways away from metamorphosis. Also, the statement in one of my previous logs about not wishing to form any sort of emotional attachment to this creature have now been retracted. If I am to understand it’s behavior better, I’m to form some sort of connection with it. Maybe when it transforms in the near future, it’d form a psionic link with me. Who knows? I still have much to learn about this little one.
Log Entry No. 8
In an attempt to learn more about the personality of Specimen C-789, I’ve found out that it is quite the picky eater, despite literally being a cloud of cosmic gas and dust. It absolutely despises the synthetic nutritional supplements that I’ve attempted to feed it with and every time it ingests even a small amount of the supplement, it spits it out and starts crying (though I also have to admit the synthetic nutritional supplements don’t taste the best and are rather bland). In an attempt to satiate its hunger, I crushed up some freeze-dried berries I had lying around in a box of rations into a powder and it seemed to enjoy that a lot more than the supplements. Though, I still have many questions about its digestive system and how it’s able to consume both solid and gaseous matter. Maybe some things are better off being unknown.
Log Entry No. 15
I tried bringing Specimen C-789 outside of my residence into the city and let’s just say it got rather overstimulated with the myriad of unfamiliar sights and sounds of Ultra Megalopolis. I tried to explain to many an onlooker who kept on fawning over it that it wasn’t properly socialized, but some refused to listen. There was a positive interaction, however, as I think the specimen made a friend in the form of another Recon Squadron member’s Poipole as they engaged in play behaviors that I previously haven’t witnessed. They spent their time chasing one another until they eventually tired each other out. I must say, it was quite the entertaining sight. Hopefully as time goes on, Specimen C-789 gets properly acclimated to its surroundings while I continue to observe its actions.
Log Entry No. 25
I’ve discovered a new ability that Specimen C-789 possesses seemingly on accident and quite frankly such a small creature should not be able to wield this much power (that can be said for most Ultra Beast if I am being completely honest). The specimen was having a temper tantrum for seemingly no apparent reason and I tried as much as I could to calm it down, but somehow that just made things worse as it continuously cried and thrashed around. As I tried to carefully approach it, it enveloped itself in a brilliant light and all of a sudden we both were in a completely different realm as I realized my surroundings had changed. This little puffball nebula is capable of instantaneous teleportation to other worlds, and somehow it brought me along with it. Its still unclear which realm I’m in but by the looks of it, I could be in the Wilds. What have I gotten myself into? I truly hope my life isn’t in any immediate danger just because I couldn’t quell its hissy-fit.
Log Entry No. 27
Thank the Blinding One that Specimen C-789 didn’t warp me to Ultra Ruins or any of the other uninhabitable realms because I finally found some semblance of civilization in the form of a research outpost set up by other members of the Reconnaissance Squadron. The field researchers there aren’t in my department, however and are specialized in xenomineralogy and are unfortunately stationed there for quite a few cycles in order to collect samples from this realm. I told them about my predicament and they seemingly just laughed at me about it. My life could have been in immediate danger yet my subordinates think it’s a joking matter! Sure, I technically still may be a new recruit but it was unfair being humiliated like that by other Squadron members. Despite that, the mineralogists offered me a place to stay, although my respite was only for a brief moment. I still have to find a way out of this realm and return to Ultra Megalopolis despite not having any means of doing so.
Log Entry No. 35
I haven’t had time to catch up with log entries. Every day is essentially becoming a blur. I’m pretty sure other field researchers presume I’m dead due to my lack of contact with them, or maybe they truly think I’m a lost cause when it comes to taking care of Specimen C-789. Now all I care about is essentially surviving and taking care of the specimen. I’ve wandered through barren plains and canyons for several days and have yet to come across another sign of life out here. I still don’t know where I am for the most part. Most would have gone insane after being alone for so long, but the thing is that I’m not alone. Strangely enough, I feel at peace when I’m watching Specimen C-789 and feel that it’s my responsibility to see it thrive. I mean, that’s the mission’s primary objective, but for some reason it feels so much more than that. Like it’s an actual helpless child. Vikxa, maybe I’m going insane too.
Log Entry No. 37
I’ve finally found sanctuary again. After what appeared to be a fruitless endeavor, I came across civilization once more. Although this time, those I turned to didn’t necessarily expect visitors. Let alone someone of the Ultra Recon Squad. I was in a place where outsiders were seldom seen and they treated me as such. That was until they caught a glimpse of Specimen C-789, whom they called Astranki, did they stop treating me with such disdain. I was confused as to why they had this sudden change of heart upon seeing the specimen, but then I realized it was because they were exceedingly rare in regions outside of Ultra Megalopolis due to their long developmental periods. It was then where I realized what realm I ended up in. I was transported to Ultra Hive, supposedly because Specimen C-789 sought to be with its Poipole companion in the city, and somehow it brought me to the species’ most populous homeworld. Maybe this little one isn’t as helpless as I thought it was.
Log No. 50
I keep on spending my time observing Specimen C-789’s behavior so much that I continuously lose track of these log entries. It seems that it enjoys itself in the conditions in this small Ultra Hive village a lot more than the city, probably because it has a lot more cosmic energy to absorb with the prevalence of visible stars. It has retained its social nature and has made many friends with the children and Poipole living here. I still don’t know what it is that makes people drawn to Specimen C-789. I know the gestation period of the species is exceedingly long and that they also take quite some time to mature, but those in this region of Ultra Space treat the specimen with high regard, as if it was one-of-a-kind. Maybe those of this particular village haven’t encountered others like it and have only seen the mature forms of the species due to its isolation from more populated areas. At this rate, I continue to learn more about Specimen C-789 and its little personality quirks as it continues to grow.
Log No. 79
It spoke to me. I know it sounds crazy but I heard the specimen talk to me using telepathy. Before this, it had only communicated in incomprehensible babbling and crying noises. Its voice (or “thought-voice” as it called it), for lack of a better word, echoed like that of a child’s. Soft, full of wonder and innocence. The first words it spoke to me were “thank you”. I know it’s my primary objective to observe its behavior, but hearing the thing you’re actually watching and raising thank you for something is… touching. I had read on the hypothesis of this “bond phenomena” where it seems that someone and an Ultra Beast can feel a connection between one another even without forming a psionic link in the past, and I never thought that this theory would be proven. I should probably stop calling my companion Specimen C-789 and start calling it Cosmog. It just feels right to call this living creature by its proper name. Perhaps I should give it a name of my own.
Log No. 100
Cosmog’s activity levels have seemingly decreased for no reason. Sure, it’s still relatively active but not in the ways I’ve seen it act beforehand. I’m beginning to get concerned for it. It could be time for it to enter its metamorphosis and change into a chrysalis. Even then, I don’t know if it’ll be okay. But, its a part of their life cycle. I shouldn’t interfere with its growth and development after carefully watching after all this time.
Log No. 120
It happened. Cosmog transformed into its chrysalis form, known as Cosmoem, seemingly overnight. At first I thought that I had lost the specimen entirely, but it had shrunk itself to an extremely small size. Its aura readings are like that I’ve never seen before. It’s still amassing energy even in this state, but it is unmoving. Just how long is it going to stay like this?
Log No. 150
A lunar cycle has passed, yet there still is no change in Cosmoem’s behavior. It’s still in a comatose state. The amount of time remaining until its emergence is unclear. I will continue to update this log despite its lack of activity.
Log No. 1◼️◼️
Still no movement. It appears that nothing has changed at all after all this time.
Log No. ◼️◼️◼️
Please. I just want them to be okay. I don’t care if it takes an eternity, I want them to wake up. They draw breath but are lifeless. Their body is warm yet my hearts go cold when I gaze upon it, lying motionless and still.
Log No. ◼️◼️◼️
I called forth those of the village to aid me in awakening the slumbering Cosmoem. It’s been several cycles since it last moved and if there is any way to see them again, its through this ritual. I’m one of science, but I’m desperate. We place the cocoon in a position where the dawn’s light could potentially shine down on it and cause the lingering cosmic energy within its body to release itself, resulting in its adult form emerging. Though this way is seemingly archaic, it’s proven to work. I truly hope that is the case. O Blinding One, hear my plea.
Log No. ◼️◼️◼️
Dawn awakens. Cosmoem has awoken and transformed into its adult form, a beast that blazes brighter than the twin suns of this realm with every breath it takes. It is an immaculate creature, its mane embellished with gold and its face shining like the very stars themselves. It spoke to me again, but this time its voice shook me to my very core with its resonance. Instead of me being the one comforting it, it comforted me. After waiting for so long, my companion was finally returned to me. I asked it if it wanted to return to Ultra Megalopolis, but it simply stated that it liked it better here. I somewhat agree.
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ACCESS TO THIS ARCHIVED TRANSCRIPT HAS BEEN GRANTED BY USER BY THE ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON
High Convocation of Ultra Megalopolis Official Transcription of Meeting No. 1646
Subject: Possible solution proposition by Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron Engineer Achroma Thrix-ank’Ophiuchus
Date of Recording: ◼️◼️/◼️◼️/◼️◼️◼️◼️
Achroma: Members of the High Convocation, I thank you for allowing me to be in your presence and for letting me speak today. High Convocation: Very well. What is it that you have come to us for?A: As you may or may not know, I am one of the many researchers of the Reconnaissance Squadron looking for ways to return natural light to this realm. We have proposed many possible solutions time after time, yet even with vigorous experimentation and application, none have yet to work. Others in the Squadron have proposed a solution to be found in other worlds across Ultra Space, but I have an alternate theory. HC: [inaudible mumbling amongst convocation members] Explain. A: What if the solution we seek isn’t even in Ultra Space? What if it is a realm we have often overlooked? According to historical records, we have come in contact with the realm known as Terra some hundreds of cycles ago and it was there that we recaptured the Blinding One in its current shattered state. HC: We are aware of Terra's existence. That realm holds little to no interest to us due to their technological inferiority. Besides, intervention with humanity could have dire consequences for both our worlds.A: I understand your concern, O radiant High Convocation. However, I disagree.HC: [indistinct vocal overlap] We will not stand for your insolent tone, Achroma. HC: Calm yourselves! This is a professional assembly and we shall act accordingly.A: My apologies, O High Convocation. Now, if you would allow me to continue.A: There is a possibility that some of the remnants of the Blinding One landed on Terra when they initially scattered themselves across the cosmos, although this is just a hypothesis. If there is anything akin to the energy levels of those shards, we could use this hypothetical material to restore the Blinding One to it’s true splendor and help further our technological advancements. HC: And what makes you think those here are not capable of finding or creating a solution? Why are you so particularly fixated on Terra?A: Terra has intelligent lifeforms akin to us, even if they are of a different species entirely. I have also heard rumors of other beings who inhabit that realm who possess great power akin to that of the Ultra Beasts, albeit on a much smaller scale. We could harness the energy of these creatures in order to bring back its light, much like we have done before. HC: As we have said before, humanity is significantly inferior to our kind. They have yet to explore other realms as we do, and if we ask them for cooperation they may perceive us as a threat and in turn we will be at odds with one another. Is that what you truly want, Achroma?A: Not at all. But our kin have worked alongside humanity before, and surely they would understand the urgency of our situation.HC: If bringing back the Blinding One’s light was such an urgent matter, we wouldn’t still be enclosed in this seemingly eternal darkness!A: We’ll find a way. We’ve endured for so long in a realm without light, there has to be a way. And Terra may have the solution we seek.HC: That is enough, Achroma. We have made our decision regarding your proposal and we decline your offer. We lack proper evidence of your theories regarding Terra, and because of that your proposition has been henceforth denied. If you have any objections, you will face the judgement of the head of the Convocation in another trial. This meeting is now ended. Return to the Reconnaissance Squadron headquarters and continue your research.
[END OF TRANSMISSION]
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USER HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION TO VIEW THIS OTHERWISE CLASSIFIED CONTENT BY THE AUTHORITY OF ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Reconnaissance Squadron Anomaly Prevention Task Force Member Profile Overview (Current and Former)
Phyco Ringodium-ank’Durvil
Current Captain of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron and leader of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force (APTF). An experienced veteran within the Recon Squad’s ranks, he once upheld the same position that his successor, Dulse ank’Colax (see below), currently has. His experience on and off the field as a natural historian has proven to be an extremely reliable asset in understanding the behavior of Ultra Beasts and stopping any specimen that could be deemed as threats. His field expedition count is in the thousands, although in current cycles he has taken more of a remote leadership role among the subunit. Previously, his primary field of research was on aura as a natural and spiritual phenomena and how it can be harnessed as tangible energy.
Dulse Ascoseira-ank’Colax
Vice-Captain of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron and Lieutenant of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force. A stalwart and unflinching member of the Squadron who excels in interdimensional patrols and eliminating any potential hostiles that threaten many a realm. He has trained in combat arts and has recently adopted the Terran strategy of utilizing Ultra Beasts in battle in order to have even footing against interdimensional threats. Although he seemingly may have a stern expression at all times, he is one of the most diligent and careful members within the Squadron aside from the resident Medic.
Soliera Viatrix-ank’Nocystis
Lieutenant of the Ultra Reconnaisance Squadron and Wing Commodore of the APTF. She is the subunit’s designated xenobiologist and is researching the bond phenomena between psionically linked individuals and Ultra Beasts, and if such “power of bonds” truly exists. Because of her experience studying and handling Ultra Beasts, she was put in charge of maintaining the APTF’s mounts (URS-Registered Lunala Specimen #7532 “Parallax” and URS-Registered Solgaleo Specimen #5936 “Aphelion”) aside from their personally bonded Naganadels.
Zos’thayuni “Zossie” Astera-ank’Rozoa
A prodigy in every sense of the word. Being the youngest recorded holder of the Engineer and Technician position and overall member of the Reconnaissance Squadron at the age of ◼️◼️ . Her technological prowess and ingenuity knows no bounds and she continuously proves herself to be the most energetic member of her unit. Though she herself has not taken part in the Tsanzora yet due to her age, she has inherited and formed a psionic link with a Lunala courtesy of her parents, whom are of upstanding status and work among the High Convocation. Has been on hundreds of field expeditions and quelled ◼️◼️◼️ interdimensional anomalies across Ultra Space as a member of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force.
She is currently reverse engineering a Terran device known as the Z-Ring, which emanates extremely high aura levels and allows the user to harness its energy with ease. A prototype replica is currently in development.
Rhipiliospis “Rhi” Zil-ank’Cadros
Medic, astronomer, and interdimensional cultural expert of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force. They are one of the few members of the Reconnaissance Squadron to partake on field expeditions on Terra, aside from the rest of the current members of the APTF. Their demeanor is calculative, but not cold, and is shown to take precautionary measures when assigned to uninhabitable realms for research sampling. They are well versed in both modern medicine utilizing technological advancements and in “traditional” medicinal practices from outside Ultra Megalopolis (although these methods are rarely used).
They are currently researching the solar and lunar cycles of different realms and how they effect their corresponding biospheres.
Achroma Thrix-ank’Ophiuchus
Former mechanical, biomechanical and genetic engineer who overlooked the ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ Project. Connection and affiliation with Reconnaissance Squadron has since been terminated after records of dubious and unethical genetic experimentation had been found. Further information regarding this individual is classified.
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Phyrron B806 (Ultra Carnival)
Status: InhabitedCurrent Population: 212,000Cycle Period: 423 daysGeography: A realm of bright lights both natural and artificial constantly busy with the sights and sounds of festivities. The land itself is multicolored with neon hues that illuminates with every step. Because of its energetic nature, this realm has become an extremely popular tourist destination for those capable of interdimensional travel (and those who can afford it.) Fauna: This realm is the primary homeworld of the Ultra Beast Blacephalon. Culture: The people of Ultra Carnival are extremely lively and outgoing, known to be some of the best caretakers in all of the known realms due to their hospitality and carefree nature. Instead of being a hub for scientists like Ultra Megalopolis, those of Ultra Carnival are artists and storytellers that hope to share their craft with all worlds.
Aegialius K382-AS (Ultra Reef)
Status: InhabitedCurrent Population: 13,000Cycle Period: 476 daysGeography: What was once dismissed as one of the many aquatic uninhabited realms of the Ultra Space Wilds has drawn attention from field researchers due to its relative biodiversity that can only be compared to Daora NP804, but completely submerged underneath a pristine ocean. Small artificial cities have began development underwater, but most people who live here dwell atop the waves on floating shelters. Most of this realm still remains undocumented. Fauna: Jeweled Naganadel call this realm their home alongside other organisms and the only Ultra Beast that lives a completely aquatic lifestyle: UB Barbs - Volthanitas. Volthanitas are ruthless piscine predators that have sharp, dagger-like fins that can secrete a toxin that can kill someone in less than 3 minutes and are not to be engaged with due to their aggressive nature. There have been rumors of an organism that fits the description of an oceanic deity worshipped in a region on Terra but no reports of such a creature have been confirmed.
Jökulros K646-BW (Ultra Tundra)
Status: UninhabitedCycle Period: 365 daysGeography: The land itself is barren and frozen, locked beneath an extremely thick ice sheet. No plants are able to grow here due to the harshness of the terrain and climate. It has been battered and beaten by constant blizzards and a seemingly eternal winter. The only other surroundings on this realm beside the empty ice floes are jagged mountain peaks and deep chasms leading to the only semblance of warmth to be found underneath. After careful analysis of the realm’s structure, it is confirmed that this world is indeed a dead-end timeline for Terra and that the endless cold was in fact caused by human hands for reasons we do not yet fully understand. Fauna: No Data
Arrokoth G487-P (◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️)
Status: UnknownGeography: Everything here is backwards. The laws of physics, time and space do not apply here. The flow of time is seemingly halted and the surroundings are just as strange. Floating islands hover over a seemingly empty and eternal void. Streams of water flow upwards instead of downwards. Some say that this realm is the edge of all known worlds, empty and devoid of life all except for one entity that rules over this domain. Much like Ultra Deep Sea, it is hauntingly beautiful in its emptiness. But due to the unstable and unpredictable nature of this realm, it is strictly prohibited to make interdimensional jumps to this location. Fauna: Only one known life-form dwells among the desolation. It is no Ultra Beast, but its power rivals and even surpasses them. The one they call the Scorned One. A phantom that lies in wait for anyone or anything to helplessly fall into its domain. The only encounter the Reconnaissance Squadron recorded and on-file of this creature is strictly classified. The field researcher fell in action whilst trying to document its behavior. Do not engage it at any and all costs.
Phaiax P484 (Spatial Realm)
Status: UnknownGeography: There is no land in this realm. This place seemingly exists at the very boundary between all worlds and is almost never intruded upon. The expanse of the universe is shown in full display in this world; entire galaxies can be seen yet they are only the size of distant stars. Threads containing wormholes to different realms are strung all throughout this dimension, infinite in number. This world is a paradox: it exists yet at the same time it doesn’t. Fauna: Much like Arrokoth G487-P, there is only one entity that seemingly calls this place its home. There is no footage of this entity, but the only person to ever travel to Phaiax P484 encountered this being for only a brief moment before being subsequently transported back to Reconnaissance Squadron headquarters in an instant. They described the being as such: “Its eyes glistened like the stars, every breath it took was resonant and felt as if it echoed across the universe and every realm. The aura levels emanating from this creature were comparable to the height of our civilization, when the Blinding One walked among us. As it floated among shredded ribbons leading to faraway worlds, I then became enveloped by a shining light and everything went blank.” Judging by the description, some scholars have argued that the entity seen by the field researcher was none other than the Watcher of the Stars spoken of only in myth. Others believe that they experienced an episode of spiritual psychosis.
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The twin suns had long since faded, and the sky was aglow with the soft hues of faraway stars and azure firelight. Those of a small hive village circled around a wisened hive-mother awaiting for a tale of old to be spoken of once more. Young Poipole buzzed around alongside restless children waiting for the story to begin, continuously asking impatiently. “What story is it gonna be?”“Can it be a scary one?””Is it gonna be boring?”
”Quit worrying! You know the hive-mother tells the best stories, right?”
The overlap of boisterous and youthful voices were then hushed as the violet insectoid wyvern chuffed softly and began to speak.
Listen well, young ones. This is a story that all hives across all realms know, a story that is engraved in the ancient histories of both our kin: The Tale of the First Rider.
As the story began, the mood was set by others in the village playing accompanying music quietly on drums and three-chambered flutes, whisking away all who heard it to a time long since forgotten.In the days where the Blinding One’s radiance still shone across all realms, the Great City was not yet complete. The realms of man and beast were still separate, and none would dare to dwell alongside such fearsome creatures that lurked among them. People lived in small, collective communities scattered amongst the stars, much as we do now. But in this era, what was not understood was feared. And so a law was established: to come into deliberate contact with these Beasts is strictly prohibited due to their unpredictable natures and some of them even having tendencies of rampages. An invisible boundary was drawn between the two, and the law was followed for many cycles without question. A day would come to pass when this imperative law would be challenged. Long since the law was passed, there had been minimal attacks and rampages from wild beasts in neighboring areas. There was relative peace, yet unrest still lingered. A youth wished to truly understand why such a strict rule was still enacted upon them even when those of a nearby hive did not seem to mind their presence. They asked their village’s leader to speak with the leader of the beast hive that lay outside of their territory, only to be met with disapproval. But even still, they disobeyed the one rule that was to be upheld at all cost. Under the cover of night, the youth ventured outside of the safety of their home and into the unknown expanse that lies beyond.As they approached the hive’s threshold, they were met with a deafening screech crying out from the darkness. A great shadow hovered over them, blocking the illuminating light of the moons. A sound that echoed like a beating drum stirred up the ground below, and whatever was the cause of the noise was staring the young Ultari right in the eye. Its eyes were aglow with a similar hue to the bioluminescent foliage that acted as the only source of light during the evening. It was then that the youth realized what was looking right at them. A Naganadel. But in these ancient times they were not known as such; they were referred to only as ‘Toxic Spear’. Instead of piercing them with its stinger aimlessly, the beast spoke.
I must ask you this, young one. For what reason have you come here?
The youth hesitated, before mustering up a small semblance of courage to respond to the beast’s query.“I wish to ask you something, o Toxic Spear. Tell me, why do your kin not swarm at us for encroaching upon your home?”
It is because we share the same star, is that not simple enough for you to understand? I do not have the time to speak with you; your kind abhor our very existence. You Ultari will always fear the things you do not comprehend.
“But I am not afraid.” The youth stated defiantly.
Are you now?
“And I wish to learn.”
Hmph. You will learn from the elders of your kind. I have nothing to teach you.
The draconic beast snarled before flying away back towards its hive. Their efforts were seemingly in vain. But the young Ultari was persistent. Night after night, they would return to the outskirts of the hive and ask the beast more questions, and even still it refused to answer them. Moons began to pass. Moons became cycles. These meetings between the youth and the beast would become few and far between as time continued to march on, until the youth was a child no longer. In those cycles that passed, the youth had learned valuable lessons on preserving the fragile balance that bound their worlds together even if the words of law prohibited them from interacting. With newfound courage and knowledge, they returned to the edge of the hive and the sound of wingbeats swiftly followed suit. “I know now why you were unwilling to show me your ways and teach me: I was simply too young to understand the complex interconnected web of aura, Ultari and beast. And if I am to learn, then we are to become one. I must ask of you something once more; grant me your wings so I may soar the same skies as you.”Never had the beast heard such a thing: an Ultari asking for cooperation from an Ultra Beast. The way they asked was different as well; they were filled with an unshakable resolve and the beast could sense a strong aura emanating from them. A stream of images from past, present and things yet to come were transmitted into both the minds of the former youth and the Naganadel. The beast then bowed its body before the Ultari.
After all these cycles of asking, it is now time for you to learn. Your will has strengthened and your mind has sharpened. You are ready and I, Nha’rak, shall be your wings.
The draconic beast bellowed and slowly hovered down towards the Ultari, glancing back at them. They were initially confused as to Nha’rak’s behavior, but almost as if guided by instinct, they decided to climb atop its abdomen. Its mighty breath reverberated throughout their entire body before the beast began to flap its wings and take off for their first flight together, cementing the newly formed link between them. They held on tightly, initially bracing themselves for the possibility they were going to fall off the back of this imposing creature from several feet in the air, eyes closed. The beast’s wingbeats then slowed down as they glided amongst the midnight breeze. The Ultari opened their eyes to see the night sky in a way they had never seen it before. And it was beautiful. Many moons then passed, but one day the village was being ravaged by a massive beast that consumed everything in its path. And it was on its way to the hive as well. Having no choice but to from the cataclysm and head towards the hive, the Ultari asked Nha'rak one last question."Nha'rak, will you grant me your wings and your strength once more? There is a threat that looms over both our kin and if we do not quell it, the lands and skies we share will be doomed."Without hesitation, Nha'rak obliged and let out a thundering roar: a signal that called for the rest of the hive to follow its lead. Soon the sky was shadowed by a swarm of Naganadel, and they reached the village.The village saw their arrival as impending disaster but then saw a lone Ultari riding the back of the largest of the Ultra Beasts. They then realized that the draconic horde was not here to attack: they were here to help. The village took to arms with spears and blade in hand and climbed on the backs of the swarm.They headed towards the massive beast and overwhelmed it with the sheer number of Uitari on the backs of Ultra Beasts. But even still, it grabbed on and consumed anything that came within its path: Naganadel and Ultari both. Their combined strength was strong but it was not strong enough to deter the colossus.But then the rider astride Nha'rak had an idea: the rider and the mount's thoughts could be linked together through their auras and if their thoughts aligned completely, then they would be in synchronicity. The rider commanded Nha'rak to charge in the vicinity of the all-consuming beast and fire a pure blast of draconic energy. And so it did. Stars began to fall from the very heavens and crash into the maws of the attacker, pinning it down and knocking it over. The rider then rallied all the others to attack at once using their mounts' poisonous stingers. With a mighty blow, they fell the beast in a single and unified strike.With their common foe defeated, the Ultari and Naganadel celebrated their victory, and shortly after the village allowed for people to interact with the hive in order to establish bonds with one another and become allies. The first rider's name would be forgotten by time, but many hives across Ultra Space still sing of Nha'rak's bravery.
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A woman paced around nervously behind a makeshift stage in front of a massive white building. She took several steady breaths, trying to calm herself. Another woman looked at her with concern. “Are you sure you want to go forward with this?” She asked. The woman subsequently stopped in her tracks, regaining her composure. “People know we’ve been hiding things long before the 2017 incident happened. Both the Foundation and Interpol. We need to come clean.” The brevity of this situation wasn’t to be underestimated. If this statement was to be made, the very foundations the world were built upon would seemingly shatter in an instant. If she told the world everything her foundation was behind regarding the “abnormal eclipse event”, some have coined it, all credibility she once had would be lost. She was one of the few people to directly witness what happened that day knowing the full details, in addition to her own children and a few others. Judging by the sound of the crowd in front of them, the public was growing anxious. Hundreds of people chanting “we want answers” being held back by security. Newscasters from every corner of the region and beyond waited for her to show herself to the world once again.The clicking of her high heels echoed on the stage floor as she stepped out into the limelight. A podium with her official statement stood in front of her. And so did the crowd of thousands. The world had its eyes on this tiny artificial island, waiting for a truth stranger than fiction to be untold.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
Lusamine, former President of the Aether Foundation: “People of Alola and beyond, I would like to address some information regarding the events of the eclipse that occurred during November 17th, 2017. As preposterous as it sounds, the natural phenomena that unfolded that day was not at all natural. It was caused by something outside of this world. This press release statement under the authorization of the International Police is indeed the confirmation of extraterrestrial life and their subsequent interaction with this world. The so-called eclipse itself was caused by an unstable organism not of this realm known as Necrozma absorbing a massive amount of light particles in order to seemingly drain all the light out of the sky that then ultimately caused other extraterrestrial beings akin to Pokèmon the Foundation and Interpol have subsequently called “Ultra Beasts”, to be unleashed upon the region. However, we had countermeasures against this invasion in the form of insider intelligence of those from the world Necrozma hailed from. Once again, what I am about to say may be ridiculous, but it is the earnest and full-blown truth. Before the events of the eclipse, the Aether Foundation had its first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life that seemingly asked for our assistance in something. Back then, we had the luxury of not knowing what would soon be unleashed upon us. These intelligent lifeforms were not Ultra Beasts; they were in fact humanoid. Upon further inspection of their genetic makeup, they aren’t even closely related to humans at all despite their appearance. They called themselves “Ultari.” What was even more surprising, they spoke our language and what they asked of us wasn’t control over the planet: they wanted us to help save their dying world. The world they spoke of was one draped in an eternal darkness, and that they had found a possible solution on our world. In doing so, it drew the attention of Necrozma, which they once revered as a deity of sorts; it wished to regain its full potential and unleash havoc upon the world, but as we all know, that didn’t happen. The only reason Alola still isn’t enveloped by that… monster’s darkness is the collaboration between the Aether Foundation and the small coalition of these Ultari. There are several details missing from this general overview that I cannot disclose and for the most part there are still more questions than answers in regard to these beings. That is all I wish to say.”
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The humans of Ultra Forest are descended from a lineage of Terrans that fled from a dead-end timeline caused by the deterioration of their world’s atmosphere and travelled across space in man-made craft in order to find a new place to call their home. A vast majority of these humans were from regions all culturally distinct yet similar; from archived records it states that most the ones on board these spacecraft who initially arrived here several cycles ago were from lands known as Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Alola and Kitakami.However, these Terrans did not know that there were other inhabitants on this world when they initially arrived, with those being Ultari and native Kartana populations. Initially, first contact was met with partial hostility, primarily from the Kartana, whom saw the humans as nothing more than trespassers and invaders among the swaths of bamboo and ironwood forest that made up the realm. These humans in turn attempted to explain their situation which only led to more misunderstanding between the two due to a massive language barrier (in both cases each species thought each other were speaking their tongue in reverse).In turn, a group of Ultari from a nearby township sought to end this newly formed conflict due to the fact that they could understand both Terran and the odd language of Kartana. The issue was swiftly resolved, but the Kartana were still wary of their new human compatriots. If they were to live among them, they would have to know their ways, and knowing this the humans accepted the terms of the negotiation and officially called Cvysaor K798 their newfound home. The humans found that this world was familiar yet alien all the same, with all the types of different foliage reminding them of the verdant green their former home was once full of. They would quickly adapt to the newfound customs of Ultra Forest, due to the fact that there was an extremely close similarity between the two cultures of different realms despite never previously interacting before. The core principles of being a Kartenvoy Blademaster had some overlap with ancient Sinjohan history regarding the samurai caste that once existed several thousand cycles ago on Terra. But instead of bushido, those here called it Sedalb Foyaw Eht: The Way of Blades. In addition to the warrior and defender class of Kartenvoy, there were others who were trained to be practitioners of medicine and spirituality known as omnyoji, named after another group of Terrans from the time of samurai who served a similar purpose. Not everyone learned the ways of being a Kartenvoy though, because only the Kartana that lived in a specific area could choose who was truly worthy of the title and it is one held with the utmost respect. Though many cycles have passed since their initial arrivals, the humans of Ultra Forest have assimilated into their newfound cultural surroundings whilst simultaneously continuing to keep their own from a world long gone alive in order to pass it on to the next generation. Due to this inherent exchange of cultures and practices, the humans and Ultari of this world have interacted more with one another than those of Ultra Megalopolis and the Terra of a non-dead end timeline, resulting in a newfound yet flourishing culture all the same. Perhaps this is only a small glimpse into seeing a full collaboration between humanity, the Ultari, and other denizens of Ultra Space.Passage from a text engraved in a stone by a Kartana from hundreds of cycles ago regarding the Way of Blades (original inscription): “Sedalb foyaw eht si taht rof
Regnil reverof taht sdniw eht gnoma tfird Rettahs ro kaerb ro dneb ton od
Flesruoy edalb a sa emoceb ot si yovne na eb ot rof
Wov siht htiw nik dna htik tcetorp dna dlohpu
Lufrewop dna ecreif tey, tnelis dna llits eb ot
Doownori eht gnoma tfird arua ruoy dnel Ydob dna dnim eniht neprahs.“
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Kalikrates P795 (Ultra Desert)
Of all the inhabitable realms across Ultra Space she’d traversed in order to log and observe the behaviors of the peculiar specimens that lived there, she loathed this one the most. Not because it was essentially a barren wasteland for miles on end, but because it was so damn hot. The heat was made even worse due to the heavy protective gear that every ensign of the Reconnaissance Squadron has to wear when going out on field missions or research.Sure, the handful of times she went to Ultra Jungle were extremely humid, but that was nothing compared to these conditions. And the light of the star it orbited was nigh unbearable. For once, Soleria missed the coldness of her homeworld that was still cloaked in darkness. She initially rode on her personally bonded Naganadel, but even her companion was suffering from the heat despite being a cold-blooded organism. Soleria decided that it was for the best that she’d walk to her destination, not wanting to put any further physical strain on the Ultra Beast. In retrospect, walking was one of the worst ideas you could come up with in regards to traversing this desolate alien world.There were times in the day that it got so hot that grains of sand on the desert floor would melt and temporarily turn into glass due to the raw energy and heat the nearby star was emitting. Thankfully, that didn’t happen to her whilst she continued trekking among the dunes, hoping to find at least a single semblance of life here. Of all the roles in the APTF, her’s required the most fieldwork besides that of the cultural expert. If they were to have a better understanding of these creatures that were plentiful across Ultra Space, then there was no better option than going directly to their homeworlds and observing them. The only difficulty regarding said observations was that most, if not all, Ultra Beasts are sapient beings and they’re to be treated as such.Others in her field still abhor the concept of these so-called monsters having the same levels of intelligence as their realm-travelling kin. But one fears the things they don’t understand. They were just as much a part of the tangled web of universes just as the Ultari were.As Soliera continued journeying along the seemingly endless desolation, the ground beneath her began to shift from sand particles to sun-bleached sandstone. Instead of the previous outstretched nothingness, there were indeed signs of life here in the form of sparse shrubs ingrained in the pale earth. There were naturally occurring stone structures that somehow resembled empty dwellings along with towering monoliths.But the most noticeable change in her surroundings was the abundance of turquoise crystals that grew seemingly all around her and even beneath her feet that glimmered in the light of the nearby star. This was where she was intended on heading ever since she arrived to this realm: the threshold of the Ultra Beast’s territory. Soliera then grabbed a small translucent mask that covered her nose and mouth as a precautionary measure as she began to survey the area. Her Naganadel looked at her quizzically, questioning why she even had one on in the first place. ”I have a feeling we’re not the only ones here, Tsa’ya. Be on your guard.” The Ultra Beast bellowed in a response to her comment as she continued walking further into the crystal-studded canyon. Luckily traversing the area wasn’t as treacherous as she thought it would, seeing that there were seemingly gaps that would otherwise hinder her progress that were conveniently filled with stone formations of the same shape. It appeared that someone was here before her due to the indentation of footsteps embedded in the top layer of sandstone beneath her.The air became still and quiet, with only the wind rustling nearby shrubs breaking the silence, getting closer and closer to the monolith that was encased in crystal. A sudden gust of high speed wind blew past Soliera, as she braced herself against the stirring sand, not wanting it to get in her visor or mask.But this was no gust of wind. From the breeze's wake emerged a slender and almost translucent figure, its violet eyes locked onto Soliera and her companion. It looked at her with almost an air of disgust and vitriol. It turned out that her suspicions were correct: they weren't the only ones in the desert.This figure was one of the specimen she was sent here to observe and study, an Ultra Beast known as Pheromosa. And it was a widely known fact that it saw anyone and anything that dared to approach its territory as impure and sought to destroy them immediately. The effeminate insect hissed while her Naganadel screeched in response.
You sully this place with your very presence. I would suggest you turn back and return from whence you came.
An alluring voice rung in Soliera’s head. Like other Ultra Beasts, this Pheromosa was speaking directly to her using telepathy. And from the sound of it, the creature was enraged at the sight of her. The Ultari ordered her Naganadel to fall back as she continued to step towards the Ultra Beast. "I mean you no harm." She stated, her voice being somewhat obscured due to the fact that she was still wearing a mask.That's what every single one of your kind has said before desecrating this land in the name of "research". Your words mean nothing to me. The Ultra Beast snarled before getting into an offensive position, rearing to strike Soleria. "I'm telling you the truth! I have no intentions of fi-"Her words were cut off before the insect lunged towards her, delivering a series of swift and powerful kicks to her abdomen. She was knocked over on a nearby rock as her Naganadel narrowed its eyes and roared in defiance against the Pheromosa's unprovoked assault.Because of the strength of its strikes, her protective mask fell off in the process and she was left vulnerable to the scent of its dangerous pheromones that could entrance anyone who took the faintest scent of it. Soleria then resorted to using one of her hands to cover up her nose in mouth in order to prevent herself from inhaling it. "Well then, if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get. Tsa'ya, Air Slash!" She commanded her Naganadel. The draconian Ultra Beast then unleashed sharp blades of air towards the insect, causing it to stagger backwards and fall to its knees immediately upon impact, hitting the sandstone with a soft thud. Due to her experience battling on Terra (even if it was only for a short amount of time), Soliera was no stranger to combat. The skirmish was over before it ever truly began due to the extreme fragility of the Ultra Beast.But despite taking a critical blow, the Pheromosa was still alive. It then unleashed its final gambit, emitting its signature disarming and tranquilizing pheromones towards both Soleria and her Naganadel. She tried to resist its thrall, but it was too late as she then became unconscious along with her companion. The bright radiance of the star faded as she soon drifted to a forceful slumber. When Soliera woke up, she could feel an odd sensation tingle across her skin. Despite being in a desert, she was cold. Her eyes slowly glazed open to see that she was in an underground oasis covered in the same minerals that were scattered across the surface. Among the canyon cavern walls, it appeared that there were geometric openings within them indicating that this was one of the many dens that Pheromosa lived in that were scattered across the empty realm. She then realized that the coldness was because she was in a pool of chilled water; a spring of glowing groundwater to be precise.She was entranced by the strange beauty of this place, until she ultimately came back to her senses and drew the conclusion that the Pheromosa that knocked her out essentially kidnapped her. And upon this realization, she glanced across the spring to see that very Ultra Beast bathing with her. "What did you do to me?" She asked, with panic in her voice.
Calm yourself, Ultari. This is a purifying spring. I wasn't just going to leave you to the elements to die, so I brought you here.
Upon hearing that it was a purifying spring, Soliera looked to see that her previously injured torso was somehow healing itself faster than normal as she floated in the clear waters below. Sure, it still really hurt, but she was mainly confused as to why an Ultra Beast that initially showed such hostility brought her to such a place."I thought you loathed us for being impure."
Some of you. Not all of your kind, however. I thought that you were one of those bothersome...what were they called? Mineralogians? Anyways, those of your organization that constantly come after our precious yet scant resources.
"They're called mineralogists."The Ultra Beast sighed, rolled its eyes, and continued to speak.
I knew there was something different about you. The way you treated that Naganadel as an extension of yourself, treating it with such care and comfort as if it were your own and not as if it was a beast. You weren't afraid when you first saw me. If you were one of those crystal thieves, you would've fled at the sight of me. So then, I may ask: why are you here?
"I want to understand Ultra Beasts better; observe their behavior and hopefully bridge the gap between us. For so long, we've feared those of your kin only because we don't truly understand your nature and so actively misuse your powers. If there's a way for us to understand your behaviors better, then there isn't that much left for us to fear."
You are a strange one.
"Additionally, I'd like to apologize for attacking you earlier."
The same goes for you, Ultari.
The Pheromosa then walked out of the small oasis and began to bask in the faint strands of sunlight that shone through the canyon, drying itself off. It got into a position where it laid itself atop a smooth outcrop of sandstone and laid motionless for a brief amount of time.From what Soliera knew about Pheromosa behavior, she guessed that this one was getting ready to molt and shed its old hardened exoskeleton into a new, softer shell. For other organisms, it would take months for the molting process to even occur, but much like Pheromosa themselves, molting came quick. Its body writhed and wriggled a few times before slowly sliding out of its previous carapace. Somehow, it appeared even more translucent than when she’d first encountered it, which was something she hadn’t known prior to this interaction.Though others would be utterly repulsed to bear witness this natural phenomena, Soliera was more intrigued than anything. Even though it was just one part of is behavior, she felt some satisfaction in understanding how Ultra Beasts live their lives in both a scientific and holistic approach. But, this was far from the last time she’d go on field missions to Ultra Desert, so for now she continued to find temporary solace within the oasis, even if it was only fleeting.
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Cvysaor K798 (Ultra Forest)
The sound of clashing metal echoed across the forest of bamboo and ironwood, breaking the serene stillness of the air the realm is known far and wide for. Dulse held short twin blades in his hands as he continuously and swiftly dodged his opponent’s equally fast and unpredictable movements whilst his foe responded in kind.For the one he was sparring with wasn’t another Ultari, it was a Kartana. Though an unconventional way of training, he thought it was more effective than being stuck in an empty combat simulator in the city that he’d rigorously gone to time and time again. If he was to get stronger, the ways of doing so were few and far between. As the vice-captain, it was his duty to uphold whatever responsibilities came with the title and eventually lead the Recon Squad when the captain eventually passed on.These burdens were continuously ingrained in his mind due to the fact that he was essentially raised with the sole purpose of being a member of the Squadron. In the time of the Blinding One, his ancestors were those of the warrior and defender class that protected those in the Great City. His parents would never let him forget this fact, for if he failed to forget, he’d bring shame to everyone who came before him.Because of this, he became unflinching and nearly emotionless. The cold and calculating lieutenant of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force. These feelings, though suppressed, gave him the strength to move forward and forge a better future for himself and the rest of his people. Though the Blinding One’s fury was long since quelled, there were still shadows of doubt that he’d failed since no semblance of their world’s radiance had returned, seeming as if his primary mission had failed to begin with. His grip on his blades tightened and his breathing got heavier and heavier. He was no match for the origami warrior’s sheer speed and agility no matter how true and strong his strikes were.Small cuts and bruises lingered on his palm, drops of blue blood dripping onto the intricately patterned sand beneath his feet. Dulse had to remind himself that even the smallest wounds could heal in due time and that his fight was far from over. In accordance with the Ultra Beast, their duel would end whenever one of them strayed outside of the stone circle that surrounded the two. As their dance of steel clamored, it drew the attention of a nearby crowd of other Ultari alongside some humans who also called this world their home. Some cheered him on while others were rooting for the Kartana.Though this duel had no personal stakes whatsoever, the rallying cries of the people around him reminded him of the other members of the Task Force, even if they weren’t there with him at the moment. As illogical as it sounded, he believed that the bonds between others gave people strength, himself included. Even Captain Phyco himself and his subordinates were conducting research on the “bond phenomena” between living things, and there was tangible evidence to conclude that such a theory was possible. For so many cycles of his life before joining the Recon Squad, Dulse had essentially closed himself off to the world in favor of becoming essentially a living weapon, training day after day to become stronger and stronger with no end goal in sight. For a split second, he focused only on the Kartana floating in front of him, breathing slowly and steadily. He closed his eyes as he drew his blades and lunged towards the small Ultra Beast in hopes of finishing their sparring session in one last strike.But he misstepped. The Kartana floated above him and dodged his final gambit, and one of his feet staggered outside the boundary of the stone circle. The match was over, and the Ultra Beast was the victor. Dulse was not maddened by his defeat, in fact he expected to lose ever since the match began. He returned his blades in the sheaths that were placed on the back of his uniform and subsequently bowed as a gesture of respect and sportsmanship towards the paper-thin organism. Pu tup uoy leud eht etiuq saw taht. Iratlu, elbarimda si htgnerts ruoy. The Kartana spoke.”If anything, I should be admiring your strength. You were the one bested me.”
Emaf? Yrolg? Ronoh? Rof thgif ylurt uoy taht ti si tahw, em llet? Thgis ni dne on htiw gniniart, flesruoy no drah oot era uoy.
Dulse then fell silent as the Kartana asked its question: “What is it that you truly fight for?”A part of him wants to respond with “I’m fighting for the future of all Ultari”, which represented his unyielding dedication to the organization he served.Another part of him simply wanted to respond with “I fight to get stronger”, but then the Kartana would ask why he’d want such strength to begin with. But there was another part of him he was keeping repressed all this time: his emotions and desire to protect his allies both old and new. That was the part of him that answered. “I fight for those I wish to protect.” Resolution echoed in his voice. The Kartana inquisitively tilted its head before nodding.
Ees I. Niatrec uoy era dna?
“I am.” Even though the Kartana lacked any visible eyes, it almost seemed as if it closed them for a brief moment after Dulse’s declaration. The Ultra Beast floated by him, drifting on the gentle breeze that softly swayed nearby trees. Due to the extreme sharpness of its body, it could not offer itself a “hand” (which was another appendage the strange paper creature lacked) towards Dulse. “I hope we get the chance to duel again.”
Oot em. Ew llahs, esoper fo tnemom a evah su tel, won rof?
Dulse let out a small chuckle in response to the Kartana’s request for respite. It was a well known fact that the humans and Ultari of Ultra Forest were relatively hospitable towards any guests that came to their realm from elsewhere, but that couldn’t be said for the origami warrior Ultra Beasts. Most of the time. Though this expedition to the bamboo forest was one he voluntarily took on his own, Dulse couldn’t help but think about the rest of his compatriots and how he wished they were here with him. For they were the things he was fighting for the whole time.
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Aura: A Phenomena Tangible yet Invisible - A Cumulative Report on the “Energy of Life” by Phyco Ringodium-ank’DurvilFor thousands upon thousands of cycles, we have pondered the nature of the myriad of worlds and universes that compose Ultra Space and the nature of the interconnectivity between each individual realm to one another. One such phenomena that is apparent in seemingly every world is the presence of aura, the energy that composes the essence of every naturally occurring object, being the most prominent in living things and heavenly bodies.The presence of aura as a phenomena has been documented long before the modern era, when those saw it as something to be revered. As it was stated in one of the earliest written scriptures: “aura is what connects us all”. In several religious texts, they discuss how aura is the essence of the universe, which is true in regards to being prevalent in both organisms and celestial bodies, but these texts treat it as a solely spiritual concept. Spiritual uses for aura can sometimes include divination (accuracy of such predictions may vary) and channelling the deceased, although those who possess such abilities to utilize aura at will are exceedingly rare. Scriptures from other worlds seem to reinforce this idea of aura being a part of one’s very being, for humans believe in a similar concept in the form of a “soul”.Oddly enough, the only overlap found between actual scientific analysis and theological interpretation of aura is that it is finite: it simultaneously cannot be created nor can it be destroyed, it can only be reused time and time again. This can be symbolically seen in funerary rites and customs as those who have passed are said to “drift along the stars lending their aura towards those who have been long since gone and those who are not yet born.”In a scientific lens, aura is seen as a quantum particle akin to atoms that is found within the composition of most biotic and abiotic materials found across different realms, but unlike atoms, not everything is composed of aura. The existence of crystallized materials with abnormally high aural energy readings such as the Shards of the Blinding One (now tentatively known as Z-Crystals) and some minerals found within specific regions on Terra such as a gaping crater filled with peculiar life-forms (a full report regarding this site is currently underway) and a cavern with a high concentration of electrical energy, both of which are on completely separate landmasses, is a recent discovery made by field researchers. Others have noted that these two different materials have a similar signature to one another, but that research is still being disputed due to the recency of the Terran mineral samples.With Ultari biology especially in mind, we are attuned to utilize aura but only in a small amount as the overuse and overexertion of aural energy can result in long lasting physical and mental effects, in addition to aura being responsible for our ability to form psionic links between different individuals and Ultra Beasts, telepathy, and the detection of an individual’s thoughts and feelings. The appearance of when exactly our genetic ancestors gained the ability to utilize aura is still unclear, although some recent specimens have been uncovered showing that the genetic strand specifically for aura utilization on the same scale we have to this day goes back approximately at least 250,000 cycles when the first instances of a “crystal organ” appeared in the archeological records.
[END OF EXCERPT]
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Caecilius N800 (Ultra Megalopolis)
Zos’thayuni Astera-ank’Rozoa was known far and wide across the Reconnaissance Squadron for two things: her intellect and her tenacity.On paper, those two things would directly conflict with one another, but that didn’t stop Zossie from proving those who said otherwise wrong.She was still young, and many of those within the Squadron second-guessed her ability to go on intensive field missions solely due to her age.Some even claimed that she only got accepted into the URS was because of her parents’ status as upstanding members of the High Convocation who specialized in biological mechanics and engineering as a means of showing off their nepotism.While it was true she was of upstanding status compared to others within the squadron, she didn’t flaunt that fact around to make others feel insignificant. In fact, it was the opposite; she had way too much optimism despite the constant interdimensional threats they had to deal with on a near daily basis. A child shouldn’t have to bear such a burden to provide a future for all Ultari. A child’s place isn’t on the front lines. She’d been told these things time and time again from those inside and outside the organization. Zossie was young, but stars above, she wasn’t stupid. She ruminated alone in her personal quarters, the floor covered in spare parts from previous projects she worked on in her own time. Since the coveted light of the Ultari homeworld had only recently returned (albeit minimally), she had no missions or field research to do at the moment.Sure, she could continue her attempts at reverse engineering that one piece of Terran technology that caught her attention all those cycles ago, but that was still work relating to the organization; and besides, she’d barely made any progress in replicating the device to begin with. She was currently experiencing the phenomena that humans dubbed “burnout”. Zossie was simultaneously tired of having assignments being constantly thrown her way and had absolutely nothing to do to pass the time. Maybe she could clean up all the spare metal scraps and hadronic parts lying around her workbench or start training and studying for her upcoming Flight Ceremony, since she had yet to complete the rite. That’s what the others would’ve wanted her to do. But unfortunately for Zossie, the rest of her Anomaly Prevention Task Force compatriots weren’t around at the moment, and once again she was faced with the unfamiliar sensation of sheer boredom. On days like this, I wish I was still on that mission on Terra… She thought to herself. Of all the realms she’d visited for field research purposes, Terra was still her favorite. She missed the sensation of basking in the sun’s rays as opposed to the almost barren cold conditions of her homeworld. She missed the soft sand beneath her feet that made her feel like she was walking on clouds with every step she took.And the water. The crystal-blue ocean, that’s what it was called, right? The sound of the waves crashing onto the Alolan shores was nothing like she’d ever heard before. Though humanity lacked the Ultari’s technological advancements and longevity, they seemed to enjoy their lives in their relative bliss. The same couldn’t be said for her people, however. The only thing people in the Great City ever seemed to care about is furthering their knowledge for the “greater good”, which she thought was nothing more than something members of the High Convocation made up in order for them to follow their unquestioned leadership and authority.Life here felt rigid and hollow, even though there were ways to entertain yourself in the city. The main thing separating humankind from the Ultari is that humanity always seemed to have a sense of hope within their hearts and minds at all times, while on the other hand, hope had only just returned to the once dark and desolate planet. That’s when she came up with an idea, a way to bring a piece of Terra to Ultra Megalopolis in a sense. She made room on her workbench by dusting it off and moving any parts she didn’t need elsewhere.The ones that she did need however were few and far between, so she continued perusing around her room turned workspace for something of use.She needed an ionic microchip, an energy converter and a few extra pieces of scrap metal in order to make the object she had in mind. Her experience in crafting new technologies in seemingly an instant was why she was heralded so much as a prodigy. She even designed the wrist communicator she wears on her arm at all times without the guidance of any blueprints.And so she began her impromptu project, piecing the spare parts together like a puzzle until something new came from it. The device she made ended up looking like a small white sphere made out of a metallic material with a small panel of glass at its center. Upon touching it, a holographic interface appeared, awaiting commands.She pressed a few buttons on her wrist communicator which contained archived files of her previous travels in the form of voice and video logs and transmitted them to the small hologram.The one in particular she pulled up was that of a sunrise she took footage of in Alola. Though she already had a holographic screen in her room, she remembered something that humans did that she originally thought as being incredibly mundane: putting up picture frames.Though the moment captured had long since passed, it could essentially be relived through a photo or recording. She just sat there, looking at the footage of the sunrise and the sound of the sea breeze echoing across her room. It was almost as if just by looking at this archive that she was transported back to Terra without the use of any interdimensional travel.She felt homesick for a planet she didn’t even call her home, but that was probably because of her fond recollection of her journey with Dulse across the islands.Maybe one day, she’d come back to Alola and give her newfound human allies a visit.But today was not that day. For once, Zossie didn’t mind not having any field assignments.
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Terminus N793 (Ultra Deep Sea)
As a member of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron, they were always told that knowledge was the great illuminator, and that the only way to get over the looming fear of the unknown was to face it head-on.Rhipiliospis was in a place where very few Ultari would dare to enter. A realm the eyes do not wish to see. But they were there out of morbid fascination that was hidden under the guise of research. Though their intuition was always one to guide them, they felt lost adrift the seemingly empty void sea that seemed to go on for miles without end. The only light source around here were scattered patches of illuminating crystals and bioluminescent algae patches on cavern walls. With every step they took in the deep sea, their footsteps were quieted by the detritus that covered the bottom.Not even the heavy-duty boots they wore left a stable footprint afterwards, as the sediment would always just drift away among impact. Anyone who once wandered here left no trace, as if they never even existed to begin with. In other circumstances, Rhi would have turned back immediately due to the danger this world posed. But they continued navigating their empty surroundings nonetheless. There had to be something of interest here, right? They could potentially document Ultra Beast behaviors that hadn’t been seen before due to the fact that this region of Ultra Space was particularly treacherous. Or maybe they could find some medicinal application using the properties of the glowing algal blooms. The possibilities were nearly endless! Even still, they had to be on guard at all times. They could potentially run into a smack of the wild parasitic Ultra Beasts that called this realm their home. Or even worse, come across a Husk colony and risk becoming one themselves. The mere thought of losing one’s will and volition was utterly terrifying to them. They would rather die before seeing themselves become a Husk if it ever came to pass.They’d dealt with several medical procedures trying to separate a Nihilego from an involuntary host, and most of them unfortunately ended in failure. Some of them were even done on fellow members of the Recon Squad who strayed too far from their assigned unit and fell victim to the parasite’s grasp and venom.And the side effects.Some would unknowingly lash out at Rhi and others of the medical sector, hungering for the flesh of those they didn’t recognize as their own kinsmen.Others would repeat odd phrases over and over until they eventually succumbed to the poison’s effects. The sight of seeing those they could not save frightened them. They remember bodies growing cold. Eyes glazing over and rolling to the back of their skull. Blood on their hands. Rhi got slightly nauseous upon their recollection, but even then they continued to muster the waning semblance of courage they had and continued to patrol the area. The floating islands and crystalline structures that dotted the realm did not help them figure out where they were in regards to their starting point. Maybe they were going in circles and hadn’t even gone far from where the wormhole initially opened up. And this was the one realm where getting lost was not an option. Instinctive panic began to set in as Rhi maneuvered around the stygian depths blindly, trying to find a way out. To Rhi’s surprise, they came across an empty clearing only lit by the glow of illuminating crystal.And someone lying down on the ocean floor unconscious. Rhi slowly walked over to the figure to see that it was someone who lacked protection from the toxic air, a foolish mistake any seasoned interdimensional traveller could make. From the looks of it, they appeared to wear a lab coat stained with different substances. They glanced at the unconscious figure again and realized that their aura signature wasn’t that of another Ultari. It was that of a human. What in the worlds was a human doing in a place like this? And in an extremely injured state too! The human was bleeding out slightly from the side of its body, its wounds appearing to be congealed. Of all the places to do medical procedures, why did it have to be in this hellish place? Rhi grabbed a small oxygen mask from an emergency compartment in their suit and placed it over the human’s face in hopes of resuscitating it. It was still alive, but barely breathing. The human’s eyes began to slowly flicker open as it looked up at the one who saved it. Breathing steadily, their gazes met as a slow yet steady voice began to speak. “Where…am I?” The human slowly spoke. If Rhi explained everything about the multitude of different dimensions to it all at once, it probably wouldn’t understand what they were even talking about to begin with. Well, for one thing, Rhi should stop referring to this obviously male human as an “it”. They said the first thing that came to their mind to ease him into his newfound surroundings. “It’s okay. You’re safe he-.” Just as they were reassuring the injured human, the last thing Rhi wanted to happen came to pass. A lone Nihilego descended from above, floating over them both. Even though the organism lacked eyes, it was obviously focused on the Ultari researcher and the injured human. Seemingly easy pickings for a parasite’s next meal. Rhi laid open their arms in front of the human in a protective stance. If it wanted to turn him into a Husk, then it’d have to go through them first. “Stay away!” They yelled. The Nihilego floated back, almost being startled by the raw fear and anger in Rhi’s inflection. The Ultra Beast then raised its front tendrils, mimicking a person putting their hands up in a defensive position. Rhi had never seen any of its species act anything like it. While it was strange, their priority was still getting away from the jellyfish-like creature.
Ni…hil…
A quiet voice echoed in Rhi’s mind. It was trying to communicate something to them. Usually Nihilego were driven by pure instinct whenever the opportunity arose to find a new host, but this one just hovered aimlessly. Though no emotion could be read on its face, it was obviously concerned for them both. But Rhi wasn’t buying it. Maybe it was trying to lull them into a false sense of security before quickly turning them both into corpses. They were still on their guard, even given their odd predicament. “What is it that you want?” Rhi asked, with slight disdain in their voice.
You help… to want…
It spoke in a warped and broken way, like someone learning a language for the first time. Rhi originally learned from the archives that Nihilego often acted like young girls for no particular reason, and often dismissed that fact as being nothing more than a scientific inaccuracy. Their suspicions were seemingly shattered upon seeing this behavior for themself. “You want to help us?” They asked, reiterating its initial question. The pellucid parasite nodded before hovering to a different area of the clearing.It then grabbed several bunches of bioluminescent algae in its tendrils and then swam back down to Rhi’s level, seemingly offering it to them. Rhi hesitated to reach towards the Nihilego’s tentacle due to the reminders in their mind of those who had fallen in its grasp.But for some reason, the being known for its voracity and emotionlessness was showing them mercy. Were there those in this empty and unforgiving world that truly cared about the well-being of other life-forms? Or was the universe simply playing a sick joke on Rhi by forcing them to cooperate with the one Ultra Beast they loathed the most. The Ultari then hesitantly grabbed the bundle of glowing algae from the Nihilego’s outstretched tendril. “What now?” Rhi asked. The parasite pointed its tentacle towards the open wound on the human’s chest, trying not to sting him in the process. It then made a series of motions with its tendrils that almost appeared to look like they were rubbing them together.”You want me to put it on the wound?” Rhi was then met with another nod from the Nihilego. Following its advice, they carefully placed the bundle of algae onto the wound and then bound it together using some medical adhesive. The human let out a small groan of discomfort as the impromptu procedure happened, but he wasn’t in pain. It was more like the sound someone would make after getting pricked with a needle and then immediately forgetting that it even happened in the first place.”Thank yo-.”Just as they were about to thank it for its uncharacteristic generosity, Rhi looked up to the spot where the Nihilego once floated. But it seemed like it wasn’t even there to begin with. Not a single trace of its appearance lingered. Like they were just visited by a spectre of their own imagining. The human man slowly got up from off the floor of detritus and stood, looking in sheer awe of his surroundings. Though this place was one of, if not the most dangerous realm in Ultra Space, it was still full of ethereal beauty. He then glanced back at Rhi and began to walk towards him, still slightly hobbling with every step due to his injuries. “You saved my life out there. If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve bled to death.””It was nothing.” “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Silas Willow, researcher and professor.”
Another researcher? What’re the odds.
”Rhipiliopsis Zil-ank’Cadros of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” “That’s kind of a mouthful, huh?” Willow responded, slightly laughing. He meant no ill will towards the comment because in human culture, names that long and complex were exceedingly rare. They were of two completely different species, after all. “You may address me as Rhi,” They responded with a shorter version of their given name. A “nick-name” it was called, was it not? “And I will try to bring you home, wherever that may be.” It was then that a tentative alliance between Ultari and human was formed in the most treacherous of all the known worlds.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
THE FOLLOWING RECORDS WITHIN THE ARCHIVE ARE CLASSIFIED AND CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY THOSE GIVEN PERMISSION BY UPSTANDING MEMBERS OF THE ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON. DUPLICATION AND TRANSMISSION OF THIS FILE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Location: ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️, Terra
The mission was relatively simple: analyze the area and see if there were any points of interest for further field research. The hard part was that they were sent to a realm that wasn’t completely aware of their kind’s existence.Sure, the archives tell of a human woman disclosing everything to do with the incident involving the Blinding One’s subsequent rampage on a small island chain on Terra, but apparently most humans dismissed her statement as nothing more than a publicity stunt and called her delusional, which was all too convenient for those who were assigned recon missions here.Most of the time, members of the Squadron would purposefully input coordinates into areas with little to no human population so there was no risk of any unwanted contact, and such was the case with this surveillance assignment. And complying to Reconnaissance Squadron protocol, those who were assigned these missions were seemingly always put into pairs. It only seemed natural for siblings to eventually be tasked with such an ordeal. In times long since forgotten, the prevalence of siblings among the Ultari were considered rare and often seen as a blessing since they’d have more of a chance for their bloodline to survive. Nowadays, it meant that more people could be recruited into the Squadron at a given time if they were given the chance to do so. Pronax and Sidonia were no exception. Even though they were of completely different subfields, they somehow always managed to get assigned field research together. Some tasks they were given were easier than others, where they wouldn’t actively risk life and limb for the sake of a mission. This expedition, however, was different.The region of Terra they were sent to venture into was rarely documented and they would be some of the first to step foot in their destination. The only thing people seemed to know about this place was the strange aura signatures detected there that resembled the same energy frequency as fragmented pieces of the Blinding One. That observation alone was something of note. On their initial descent out of Ultra Space, they noticed that their designated coordinates aligned with a gaping caldera shrouded in clouds that seemed to break through the atmosphere itself. They dove at a breakneck pace atop beasts of the Sunne and Moone after exiting the wormhole, now fading out of sight.Because of their almost lightspeed velocity, they were hurdling right towards the heart of the abyss. Bracing themselves, Pronax and Sidonia held on tight to their mounts and eventually crashed onto solid ground. This wasn’t their intended way of landing, but it seemed like there was no other option.Their impact left a dent in the supple earth below. But that was nothing compared to the size of the crater. Towering walls of stone loomed from all sides, secluding the area from the rest of the world. Despite its isolation, their surroundings were teeming with life in the form of plant matter and native Terran species roaming across the sides of steep cliffs and plains below.Flowing waterfalls rushed from outcrops of the crater, descending into either pools or a fine mist.Even though they themselves were alien, their surroundings could only be described as such. It wasn’t like any realm they’d been to, not even the most remote ones. “Are you sure this is the right place?” Asked Sidonia. She began to tinker with her wrist communicator only to find that there was no signal, and that meant that there was no way of letting others know that they’d arrived safely. “I’m positive,” Pronax replied. He was standing at the base of a tree that appeared to be crystallized at its roots, scanning it with an aura detecting device and an outstretched palm. His eyes then subsequently widened as the sound of continuous beeping could be heard from the scanner. “I’ve never seen readings like this before, nor have I ever seen any plant matter being consumed by minerals in a manner such as this…” Though he was a man of science, Pronax couldn’t help but be absolutely dumbfounded by his surroundings. “We’re wasting time idling. Come on, we need to survey the area.” Sidonia rolled her eyes and continue to venture deeper into the chasm below as her brother and interstellar mounts followed behind. As they wandered, they came across yet another peculiar sight: an empty metallic building. It looked similar to the remote research stations that were utilized on other worlds by fellow members of the Recon Squad, though it resembled an older model. Could this be a remnant of a previous expedition from their peers? It couldn’t be, Sidonia thought.The container-like building was covered in rust and ivy, which meant that it was unattended for a very long time, and it had only been a few cycles since this site was originally documented in the archives. Sidonia approached the door of the facility only to find that it was locked shut from the inside. This peculiarity stuck out to her like a sore thumb, and it seemed that whomever was previously there purposefully wanted to prevent anyone from entering. Almost as if they were hiding something.She glanced at the side of the building which had faded letters written in long since worn-out paint. Though these weren’t in the script of Ultari’i, leading to the conclusion that humans of all people, made it down here.Sidonia was no linguist, but she could make out the faded words on the wall: ◼️rea Z◼️◼️o Re◼️◼️◼️rch Facil◼️◼️◼️ #◼️.So her initial suspicions were right, others ventured here long before the arrival of the Reconnaissance Squadron. But she still had more questions than answer in regards this place.Were the humans that left these stations abandoned researching the same frequencies they were as well?What caused them to leave? Were they essentially trapped here?With these questions lingering in her mind, they ventured deeper still. The creatures, no, Pokèmon they were called, they had encountered thus far were minimal, almost as if they were aware of their presence in this untouched sanctuary. They had seen a few avian ones clad in ebon plumage hovering overhead but they didn’t seem to mind their presence.Though life was abundant here, it was eerily silent. A stillness that was only broken by the wind and the sound of the siblings’ footsteps. Pronax and Sidonia had been walking for nearly an hour now and even still they hadn’t made it to the caverns below.Sure, they could just use the Squadron Registered Solgaleo and Lunala as transportation, but the beasts still retained minor injuries from their initial impact and strayed behind. All of a sudden, Pronax stopped in his tracks as they came across a valley strewn with the same mysterious crystals that they saw completely enveloping the tree when they first arrived.He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, once again stretching out his palm. The sound of the wind seemingly halted and all was quiet. A bit too quiet.Sidonia too suddenly came to a standstill, her eyes frantically looking across the valley to see any sign of life besides the two of them. And they were still met with silence. Her gaze met with the Lunala she rode on, as a small open wound on its wing began to drip shimmering blood onto the ground.She had no means of healing it at the moment and if she rummaged through her equipment, then she’d ultimately draw too much attention to herself. The lunar beast let out a quiet whine of discontent, now slowly hovering towards the twin Ultari. The silence was then broken by Pronax’s whispering. “I think we’re being watched.” He slowly murmured.Almost as if on cue, another noise shook the ground of the open valley, resonating through their bodies like a shockwave. It was a sonorous and deep roar that echoed all across the crater.The sound was nothing like they’d ever heard before but one thing was certain: it was a sound of raw fury. A crescent shaped shadow descended upon them, ambushing the hurt Lunala in the process. The figure pinned the lunar beast to the ground as it tried to fight back by flapping its massive wings in retaliation.It was not that of any creature they’ve ever come across before. This creature too was winged, but its wings were stained the color of a blood moon. Rage was the only emotion visible in its eyes and it set its sights right on the vulnerable researchers and their interstellar mounts. Lunala caught the creature off guard as it fired a concentrated blast of lunar energy, the beast roaring in pain as it was struck by it. The wings of the moone screeched in opposition, taking a defensive position despite its injuries whilst Solgaleo swiftly followed suit. “What is that thing?!” Sidonia screamed. “I don’t know! I can’t find any information about it on any of the archive databases.” Nothing was showing up in regards to this draconic creature, not even a similar looking organism or Ultra Beast. It was almost as if it never even existed at all, but yet there it was.A living paradox loomed before them. Something that was not meant to be given life in this current era nor in this world was made manifest.If they fought back against it, their mounts could potentially get hurt or even worse and they’d essentially be stuck in this massive crater on another world. They were given two options in this fleeting moment: fight or flight.And so they ran with all the speed they could muster away from the ferocious dragon (it looked like what humans would call a "dragon", but it bore no resemblance to the draconic creatures of their homeworld). The beast swiftly follow suit, shooting out hardened scales and serrated feathers as if they were projectiles at them.If given the circumstances, they would at least try to understand why this creature was so unfathomably pissed off, but this was a matter of life and death. Dying in the name of research was not an option.They continuously sprinted until they were met with the cliff's edge, the only thing below them was a seemingly endless abyss. The two Ultari and their beastly companions were cornered. But they weren't giving up just yet. Lunala once again let out a howling screech as it ascended higher into the air hovering over the maddened dragon and flashed yet another burst of glistening energy right in its eyes, temporarily blinding it.Solgaleo then joined in on the fight as it wasn't going to let its counterpart or their riders fall in the line of duty to the talons of an unknown beast. It rammed its hardened metallic head against the skull of the dragon, hurdling it into the walls of the crater. The opposing creature's body grew limp and numb until it slowly flapped its moon-shaped wings and soared elsewhere, roaring in anguished defeat.Without giving a single command, the solar lion and astral bat fought valiantly with tooth and claw in order to defend both Sidonia and Pronax's lives. But this peace was short lived. Due to the impact of Solgaleo's attack, it had inadvertently caused the uneven ground below to tremble and the once sturdy cliffside came undone, plunging them even further into the depths of the crater. For the second time in a single research expedition, they hurdled into an endless abyss until they collided with hard and solid ground. They were lucky that their protective armor was shock absorbent because another fall from such a height could result in serious injury. The natural light of the sun had long since faded, and they were met with almost complete darkness.
Almost.
The cavern seemed to glow with a faint glimmer of bioluminescence, a familiar sight from other worlds that they'd ventured too. But such a phenomena was rare on Terra, yet the whole place seemed to be illuminated by it. The crystal growths here were absolutely gargantuan, towering over even both Solgaleo and Lunala.They too were peculiar, shining with an odd light and in a hexagonal shape which was rarely occurrent in nature. Pronax once more held out his palm in order to detect the aura readings and. He fell silent."Pronax? What's wrong? Don't tell me another creature's going to come out and ambush us aga-." Sidonia asked out of concern."I... Can't believe it. These crystals are..." He began to mumble to himself quietly. "They're what?""It's almost as if they were made out of raw and concentrated aura themselves. This should be impossible... No readings like this have been seen since the height of the eras of the Blinding One.""Are you certain?"Pronax responded with a nod. In order to counteract her suspicions about this place, she reached out her hand much like her brother once did and closed her eyes. She concentrated on reading the aura waves with all her might and mind. And what she could see was beautiful. A dancing sea of energy flowing all around this once thought to be empty and barren cavern. Even in the darkest of places, light still lingered. Opening her eyes, she suddenly realized she was unconsciously crying due to what she saw and felt. Sidonia was never one to be awestruck by such trivial things of nature, but there she was, her mouth agape in a scene of ethereal and otherworldly beauty.Maybe the humans who were once here were too entranced by the glimmering of crystalline radiance, but nobody could tell. In that moment, they were the only ones there among the depths.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Caecilius N800 (Ultra Megalopolis)
For the first time in thousands of cycles, new arrivals came to the Great City. But they weren’t of this world. They had come here through an Ultra Wormhole forcibly opened by a child of the stars that was in unimaginable pain, now left in a form of stasis for who knows how long. One thing immediately stood out to those who dwelled in the darkness: they were alien. Somehow, humans were here. Their initial arrival was rough, as they seemingly ended up directly on the ground after their instantaneous warp. A woman’s eyes slowly flickered open as a man stood over her, crossing his arms. “You good, lady?” He asked in a somewhat condescending tone, not even offering to get her up off the ground. The woman subsequently and slowly began to stand, trying to regain her balance in the process whilst clutching the container the slumbering Cosmoem rested in. “If you knew I was lying on the ground like that, why didn’t you help, you oaf?!” She spat. “Because if I did, I’d probably be tainting your perfect skin with my touch or something.” They both scoffed at each other, glancing in the opposite direction from which they stood. It was then that the reality of their circumstances finally hit them: they were in another dimension. They looked up to see a sky without stars, only being illuminated by faint traces of neon and quietly humming electricity.Great spires akin to Castelian skyscrapers (although much more futuristic looking compared to their Unovan counterparts) towered over them, each one growing continuously taller and taller. The air here was sterile and cold, reminiscent of the woman’s private collection of different specimens. They both were in awe and in fear of this strange new world. “Holy fucking shit, Lusamine. We’re on an alien planet.” The man loudly blurted. Lusamine once again sighed in annoyance. “This… isn’t what I expected Ultra Space to be like.” In a way, she was dissatisfied with her own success of being the first human to step foot into these unknown frontiers.She had been researching the creatures that dwelled here for so long, and yet she was met with silence. The endless reaches of Ultra Space were supposedly teeming with life, but it was almost as if this world itself was abandoned. A hollow shell of something greater.“Well, what’d ya expect? They don’t call space a vacuum for nothin’ because this place sure does suck.” The man laughed at his poor attempt at wordplay. “We need to keep moving. I don’t have time for this.”She continued to walk further into the empty landscape with no regards for the person trailing her behind. He wasn’t even supposed to be here in the first place; somehow he got sucked into the gravitational pull of the Ultra Wormhole and now he was stuck here with the Aether Foundation president. “Oy, wait up! Do you even know where you’re headed?” He shouted. The woman pointed towards the only guiding light in this starless world as it illuminated further in the distance. It was almost like a beacon beckoning them to come towards it. In actuality, it was more akin to a Lanturn trying to lure its prey in the abyssal depths. As they followed the light, it continuously grew brighter and brighter until they came to a section of the once barren planet filled with the same spire-like structures clustered throughout the area, almost as if it were a city. That was when Lusamine realized where she was. The Ultra Recon Squad continuously told her about their homeworld, one that was entrapped in eternal darkness with an imprisoned cosmic entity at its very heart, locked within a great tower. She froze whilst the man continued to walk forward. “What’s the matter with you? I thought you were the one who wanted to go here to begin wi-.” His sentence was cut off by an unfamiliar voice and the sound of quiet murmuring from all around. He turned around to see a crowd of people staring at them with both looks of fear and curiosity. “Sirai na’x Terranki vsanai a’ki?”
“Kai sanvi varash?”
Upon first glance, these people seemed to be normal, except for the fact they were speaking in an unknown language, acted like they’d never seen other people before, and had noticeably pale blue skin. Of all people, why were they the ones to be the first contact with sentient alien life?The man, hoping that these nonhumans weren’t hostile, said the most stereotypical thing someone thinks of when they hear “alien invasion”. ”Uhhh…we come in peace?”
Nice goin’, Guzma. You might’ve pissed off the blue bitches.
Instead of the initial hostility they expected, the pale humanoids continued to talk amongst themselves. The crowd around them continued to grow larger and larger. Their plan of not trying to draw too much attention to themselves had subsequently ended in failure. The quiet chatter seemed to stop immediately when two specific people decided to enter the foray, walking towards the humans. The crowd scattered upon their arrival, giving them space to make way. Judging by their behavior, they were probably of a high status.And from the looks of their armored clothing and equipment, it was plain to see why. These were the other members of the Ultra Recon Squad the others had mentioned briefly. “This is a private matter, leave us.” The woman of the pair spoke. Her indigo hair was side-swept in a way that it covered a single eye, even though she was wearing protective visors. And judging by her inflection, she was serious. The one following behind her appeared to be an older gentleman, wisened beyond his years. He glanced quizzically at both Lusamine and Guzma, intrigued as to why these humans were even here to begin with.“For what reason have you come here?” The man inquired. “I’m looking for someone. Another human, in fact.” “Continue your search elsewhere. You are the first of your kind to venture into this realm, and I suggest you return from whence you came.” The blue-skinned woman sneered at Lusamine.After her seemingly rude display, Guzma furrowed his brows and was exceedingly pissed off at her backhanded comment. “We would go back to Alola, if it weren’t for the fact that the stupid portal that brought us here was a one-way deal!” The older man glanced back at Guzma with a distinct look of confusion on his face.”What do you mean ‘one-way’? Ultra Wormholes always have an entry and exit point.””Not the one we came through. It seemingly faded after we arrived here.” Lusamine replied. “Let me ask you another question, humans. Was this wormhole naturally occurring?” The two fell silent. It was almost as if these pale aliens knew that they’d come here using that little sentient cloud of stardust as a catalyst.She clutched onto the device the sleeping specimen rested in until its hatched lock suddenly opened, revealing its dormant form. It hovered close by Lusamine’s feet, and the Recon Squad members simply looked at it with awe.Awe that quickly turned into repulsion. Without uttering a single word about Cosmoem, they knew exactly what she’d done to get here. “You…why would you do such a thing?! Forcing a weakened creature such as this to do your dirty work?!” Enmity welled up in the female squadron member’s gaze. “Be at ease, Soliera. This stasis is only temporary.” “So there’s a way to wake it up?” Lusamine asked. The man nodded. “Yes, but it may take several moons or even cycles to do so. It needs to be in a place that is plentiful in cosmic energy in order to awaken.””We’re literally in space, its supposed to be flowin’ with the stuff, isn’t it?””Our current situation is relatively complex. We lack the resources to perform the specific procedure on i-.””What you’re telling us is that we came all this way for nothing?” Interrupted Lusamine. She had a look of both anger and despair upon learning Cosmoem’s seemingly dire circumstances. Staying here for months or years was not an option. “There has to be another way.””I’m sorry, but right now there isn’t. We have to take extra precautions at the moment so that it doesn’t escape and wreak havoc on other worlds.” The alien man glanced up at the radiant tower. “Excuse me, but what the fuck do you mean by it?” Guzma swore. He subsequently looked down at Cosmoem and back at the spire. Surely it couldn’t possibly mean that this little cocoon was capable of unthinkable destruction, right? Upon the vagueness of their statements, he realized that something was amiss. They were hiding something. Something vital. “You can’t possibly mean the Blinding O-.” The blond woman said, her voice hushed quietly. Upon hearing that name, both aliens glanced at her with looks of unease. “How do you know that name?”“I’m assisting the other members of your Squadron. They said that their primary mission to coming to Alola to begin with was to find a way to ‘heal the Blinding One’, whatever that impli-.” Lusamine once more abruptly stopped in the middle of her sentence. Once again they fell silent, not because their conversation wasn’t going anywhere, but rather due to the faint sound of glass slowly shattering in the distance. Without warning or any indication, loud and blaring sirens began to echo throughout the city. It was a harsh and droning noise that could only be compared to the ones you would hear in a movie about the apocalypse. The sound of thudding and thrashing against glass continued as visible cracks within the Tower of Light began to form. An ungodly roar was muffled from within its confines and then. It broke free of its prison. The reinforced walls of the tower seemingly dissipated into dust upon impact. Screams of horror from across the city could be heard as others were scrambling to seek shelter and evacuate.Lusamine suddenly locked eyes with this…this entity. It wasn’t even comparable to any Pokèmon or Ultra Beast she’d studied in the past. Its entire body was composed of jet-black crystal; the only semblance of color appearing in its face. At the end of its arms were claws of obsidian, razor-sharp and capable of tearing anything apart. And the creature was staring right back at her. Upon this realization, she froze. An insurmountable wave of dread and despair washed over her. There was no way that this empty husk was the Blinding One. In fact, it appeared to be the opposite. No light emanated from its body. It was a being of pure emptiness and darkness.Her world’s oncoming demise. “Run.” She whispered. Guzma also looked at this creature for even shorter of a time than Lusamine, and he immediately got the memo that this cosmic entity had it out for them and the rest of the city. In addition to the sound of screaming and sirens, an announcement began to play. Citizens of Ultra Megalopolis, please evacuate accordingly to designated shelters. This is not a drill. Necrozma has breached its containment. Remain calm. I repeat, remain ca-. The warning was suddenly cut off by an abrupt screech of static.The creature, as if on cue began to fire concentrated and frenzied blasts of plasma, leveling entire buildings in a single strike. More and more glass began to shatter until the very ground itself was covered in the same prismatic darkness as the entity itself. Flames began to rise from its devastation. The city was in complete chaos and disarray. To think that the first humans who came in contact with an alien civilization would seemingly bear witness to its final days.”What the fuck are we gonna do…” Guzma muttered. Almost as soon as he mumbled to himself, the creature, Necrozma it was called, targeted the man and charged directly at him with its jagged talons. It pinned him against the artifice of a fallen building, tightening its grasp around him. He screamed in horror and agony as one of its edges dug directly into his skin, resulting in an immediate scar. Even though she initially didn’t want his company, Lusamine rushed over to Necrozma and called out her trusted Clefable in hopes of deterring it away from Guzma. “Get away from him, you monster!” She yelled. Its multicolor gaze locked back onto Lusamine and it screeched in defiance, rearing to strike the woman and her Pokèmon down. “Clefable! Use Moonblast, now!” The pink fae creature began to harness lunar energy around it when all of a sudden, it seemingly dissipated around it. How could this happen? Was it because there wasn’t any starlight; all of it consumed by the cosmic horror that loomed in front of it? Its efforts were all but in vain. Necrozma once more charged at its opponent, slamming it against a wall, then firing lasers at it frantically. “Clefable, return!” Lusamine commanded. A stream of energy burst forth as the severely injured Pokèmon retreated back into its capsule. The prismatic creature roared in dissatisfaction in this act of cowardice. But this wasn’t out of fear. There was seemingly no way to defeat this thing in the state that it was in now. The creature unfurled its talons and began to hover quickly towards Lusamine, hopefully trying to end her life in a single blow. She braced herself for the oncoming onslaught before something beneath her feet began to glow with an illuminating light. It floated right in between both her and Necrozma before bursting into a blazing light. It was Cosmoem. And it was evolving. From the small cocoon slowly emerged a pure-white and majestic creature with embellishments of gold and a face that glimmered like distant galaxies. It roared in the face of Necrozma as it stood in front of Lusamine defiantly. The beast’s cry reverberated throughout her body.
SOLGAAAAAA!!!
The one that held the line was none other than the Beast that Devours the Sun spoken of only in ancient myth and legend: Solgaleo. Necrozma once more shrieked at Solgaleo and tried to attack it, but as it was doing so, the third eye of the lion opened and it summoned an Ultra Wormhole close enough for Lusamine and Guzma to escape. It tried to block it off from Necrozma using its hardened defenses and attacking prowess. She looked back at the beast with a somewhat sorrowful look, almost as if she was leaving it behind. A booming voice then echoed within the minds of the humans.
Escape now. I will fend off this creature.
Lusamine nodded towards the solar beast and ran as fast as she could in her injured state towards the wormhole with Guzma following behind. They braced themselves for a rough landing upon entering the portal, and were met with solid ground and stone. She then heard a familiar voice.”Mother?! What are you doing here?”It was that of her child. Her eyes slowly flickered open as she came to realize where she’d ended up. She was on the Altar of the Sunne. And the portal was still open. “Run…that thing…is a monster.” She said slowly, nearly running out of breath and subsequently fainting from exhaustion. As the wormhole began to slowly fade away, familiar jet black claws forcibly tried to tear it open and hijack its way into this world; one full of its coveted light. Necrozma peeked its prismatic body out of the portal, and another entity followed suit: that being Solgaleo. The dark entity pinned the weakened lion to the ground as it roared in pain following their clash in Ultra Megalopolis. Its talons were grasped across its face and its entire body began to go limp, until a radiant and unnatural light came forth. In the place of Solgaleo was a creature armored in the same crystals as Necrozma. It was almost as if they fused. Trying to stave off her injuries, Lusamine looked at this newfound entity with fear. An eldritch abomination now stood at the base of the ancient altar. And it was all her fault.
Oh Arceus, what have I done?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Vespera NP804 (Ultra Hive)
After cycles of tireless study and constant simulated training, Zos’thayuni was finally ready to face one of the biggest challenges of her life so far: participating in the storied Flight Ceremony, known better as Tsanzora in her native tongue. Normally, she would be absolutely ecstatic to be given the opportunity to do so, but something was off. Instead of her typical cheerful nature, she had an expression of seriousness on her face. She’d hoped to do this rite under the watchful eyes of the rest of her unit, but they were worlds away on separate expeditions. She had no other choice but to do this alone, and Zossie utterly loathed isolation. There were others who were actively against the idea of her venturing to the Hive all by herself, mainly her parents. They didn’t want her to take part in the “old-fashioned” and “primitive” version of this ceremony that could result in near-fatal injuries or worse. The conversation that took part rung throughout her mind.
”Are you kidding me? I trained and studied for all this time just for you to just say no?”
”We are concerned about your well-being, and there are alternative methods to participate in this…ritual.”
”There are several broods of Poipole that are ready to be properly socialized in the specimen laboratory, and perhaps that is a better option given the circumstances.”
”If you were concerned for me, then you wouldn’t be making such a fuss about it! I’m smart enough to make my own decisions and you’re both treating me like a child.”
”That’s because you are one, Zos’thayuni. And not only that, you are a prodigy among the masses that comes once every hundred cycles. Such trivial matters like venturing into the perilous wilds and proving yourself worthy with no audience is beneath you. You should reconsider how you speak to your superiors.”
Her mother looked down at her with an icy glare. How typical of a member of the High Convocation to see their incredibly bright child as nothing more than an accessory to their already elevated status.
“And you should reconsider how you speak to your daughter!” Zossie yelled.
She began to storm out of the monochromatic halls of her living quarters, the automatic doors whirring shut behind her. In other circumstances, parents would have immediately tried to chase after her in hopes of trying to find an understanding. But that wasn’t the case. They didn’t seem to care at all and simply watched her leave, almost as if they expected this outcome. All with not a single semblance of remorse.
Others would’ve called her behavior irrational, but due to the disregard of her being a sentient being with emotions instead of pure intellect, it was completely justified in her mind. The only solace she found was when she was on missions, engineering new tech, and with the rest of her Task Force. They acted more of a family towards her than those of her own azure blood.
When she arrived to the familiar hive-village, she was met with a lively cacophony of sights and sounds that wouldn’t be common back in the city. The vibrant hues of intricately designed clothing woven from bio-synthetic material and luminescent plant fibers worn by the villagers were a stark contrast to her organization’s typical metallic white uniform.Sure, she was used to all the commotion due to living in the most densely populated realm across Ultra Space, but even there it seemed like it was devoid of life. The reconstruction efforts for all the damages from the Blinding One’s attack were taking several cycles to finish in addition to being costly. Almost everyone who wasn’t a member of the Convocation or the Recon Squad had a “fend for yourself” mentality, a byproduct of millennia living in isolated darkness. But in this realm, it was different. Instead of the alienation commonly felt by people of Ultra Megalopolis, those of Ultra Hive were relatively accepting towards those outside their own communities (aside from the rare exceptions of those living in the very fringes of the realm). This sense of camaraderie was only found on one other world she ventured to, and that was unsurprisingly Terra.It was one of the few places where Ultari and Ultra Beasts truly lived as equals instead of being treated as nuisances or living tools. If only the Great City could learn from them instead of continuously thinking of themselves as the high and mighty center of Ultari civilization. Zossie walked towards the center of the hive, a recognizable presence hovering above her. That of the Naganadel matriarch that diligently watches over all members of her hive, the same one that she spoke to when those two humans did the rite as well a while ago. Its luminous eyes set a gentle gaze towards her, and in kind, she bowed towards it. “I prostrate myself before your presence, o benevolent Hive-Mother Nsi’ru.” She spoke in a formal yet rigid tone. In response to her greeting, the beast chuffed and bowed its head towards her. Ah, I remember you from quite some time ago. Your aura was very recognizable, as were your clothing. For what reason have you come here, child? The Naganadel’s voice, soft yet rasping, echoed throughout her mind.”I wish to take part in the Tsanzora.”The draconic matriarch then tilted her head, seemingly in befuddlement.
Are you certain you wish to endure this rite on your own? Where are your companions? Surely they would wish to support you during your first flight.
“Well, as you can see… They’re all not here right now. Everyone’s out on personally assigned missions in other worlds and back home, meanwhile I’m stuck doing this alone. I wish they were here too, but…” Zossie’s voice then went quiet. She then sighed deeply and seemingly slumped her head down. “What am I doing? Was doing this actually a bad idea? Stars above, I really am stupid, aren’t I.” She muttered.Small tears began to well up in her eyes. She was beginning to doubt herself and even if she was worthy to take part in such a thing because there was nobody there for her to prove to. Upon seeing this, the Naganadel gently reached out her triple-pronged claw towards her, as if she was trying to act as a source of comfort.
Oh, Ultari child. You need not plague yourself with needless sorrow. Know that even if you stand here unaided, you are not alone. Though your allies may not be with you physically, they may be thinking of you at this moment, could they not? The only one you need to prove yourself worthy to is you.
The beast once more chuffed quietly, softening its gaze towards the clearly troubled Zossie. She then continued to break down into tears, seemingly moved by her kindness and words of wisdom.
“Why… why are you going out of your way to help an outsider of your hive? I don’t get it…”
I care not if you are of a different realm, child. You are clearly troubled. But I have seen resolve within you, and you must determine if you have the will to take your first flight. So, will you return to your homeworld or will you test your resolve?
The hive-mother lay two choices out for Zossie. Wiping her tears away, she looked up to the Naganadel with an expression of newfound determination, almost as if she immediately made up her mind. “I’ll test my resolve.” Instead of the long journey that those two human males took, Zossie’s destination was in the forest surrounding the hive-village, home to another nearby brood. The faint dappling of starlight seeped down to the forest floor, being blocked by the massive leaves and other foliage that blanketed the area. Though it was mainly being blocked by the overhead canopy, the scattered rays of light brought with it warmth, complementing the humid air. Others would’ve loathed these conditions due to the sweating that inadvertently comes with it, but she didn’t mind. For once, her surroundings weren’t so still and barren. Everything around her was colorful and alive, once more an extreme contrast to that of her homeworld. But now more than ever, this wasn't the time for simple idling. She had to find herself a Naganadel. Or more likely, one was going to have to find her. Another difference between her experience and that of the humans was her ability to properly use aura to sense if there was anything of note nearby. Taking a few steps and some steady breaths, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate with an open palm facing the depths of the forest. The only thing she could hear were the cries of distant Ultra Beasts and a tranquil breeze that caused the overhead leaves to rustle. The state she was in now was almost meditative, her hearts slowing down compared to when she began hiking here. With her presence, she was sending a message unto the wilds that someone was here and all she needed was a reply. Just a simple acknowledgement of her would do. If that didn't work, she would have to resort to other methods. Ones that were a tad bit riskier than sending out waves of aura out into the open like sonar. And so she waited. And waited. And waited. Even though the forest was seemingly brimming with life (that of the plant kind), she was met with silence. Something that she was all too familiar with in her travels. That either meant nobody was actually out there or that something was lurking quietly in the undergrowth, rearing to strike. Zossie hoped that it was the first option more than anything because she did not want her death to basically be interpreted as a "told you so" from her absent-minded parents. The young Ultari opened her eyes and put down her hand, seemingly groaning in disappointment. This was supposed to be the planet said to be swarming with Naganadel and it seemed like they all were ignoring her entirely! How did the others of her subunit get it so easy while she essentially had to play the waiting game in the humid jungle. Her expression was that of "I give up", but a voice in the back of her head told her otherwise. To back out now was seemingly an act of cowardice and she needed to remember that she was doing this for herself, not the approval of others. Because she was doing this for minutes on end without taking a break, she began to get hungry, her status being indicated by the slow grumbling of her stomach. And that's when it hit her: the one thing she forgot to bring with her were those synthetic nutritional supplements. She had everything else she needed that was essential equipment, but not sustenance. Lucky for her, she was in a place full of plant matter and hopefully she would find something that wouldn't taste bad or kill her. She fiddled with her armband communicator and activated its scanning device, trying to identify if the fruits of flowering shrubs and trees were edible or not. Thank the Blinding One she had that on her, or else she wouldn't've been so lucky. The one in particular she was eying was an oblong violet fruit situated at the end of long and tangled vines wrapped around a small tree. At least, small for this realm's forests because the trees could literally grow to be the size of skyscrapers. Once again she groaned, not because she was starving, but because she knew the lengths she would go to in order to attain some of these palm-sized fruits. She would have to climb. Welp. Guess I don't have much of a choice then, now do I. Squatting down to the ground, she began to prepare herself for an upward leap towards the tree's base and hopefully climb up to one of its sturdy branches where the fruit was waiting overhead. Struggling to hold on tightly, she wrapped her arms around its center and slowly trudged upwards, using the back of her heels to maintain balance whilst she made her ascent. The rigid edges of the bark was trying to keep her from going higher due to its discomfort, yet even still she climbed. She wasn’t the most athletic member of the Recon Squad, but she sure was nimble.After a few minutes of struggling to hang on, she finally reached her destination. The vines sat directly above the branch, almost as if it was tempting her to come forth and pluck it with its presence. The only downside was that if she made one wrong slip or mess-up, she’d be met with a several story plummet down to the forest floor and several injuries. A fair trade, really. Reaching out her hand, she carefully tried to grab onto the vine and with it some of the fruit she was chasing. With a gentle tug, the spongy exterior flesh of the fruit plopped right into her other hand. She could finally have a moment of repose. Or so she thought.As it turned out, this branch wasn’t as sturdy as she thought and Zossie heard the faint sound of creaking coming from where she sat. The branch began to slowly snap until it eventually collapsed fully. She tried to hold on from where it once stood, but it was too late. She was falling. And the landing below didn’t seem like a soft one at all. She tucked herself into seemingly a cannonball position, bracing her body for a sudden impact. But she didn’t hit the ground. In a split second, a shadow flew over to the area she was descending and seemingly caught her within its grasp, saving her from untimely injuries or something worse. As she fell, her eyes were closed and slowly she began to open them. Her rescuer was the last thing she would expect it to be.It was a Naganadel. But something about it was different. Instead of the being clad in the familiar violet and magenta scales of others of the species, this one’s coloration was that of a golden yellow with dark stripes coursing across its body. Though its colors were different, its gaze was the same. It looked at her with content, the sound of its slow and steady wingbeats echoing throughout the forest floor. The beast then gently placed her back onto solid ground and chuffed quietly. That was before it subsequently ate one of the fruits she was holding onto in a single bite. “What was that for?!” Zossie exclaimed. The draconic beast then hovered closer to her level, kicking up dust from the ground below with every flap of its wings. Ah, it’s been a while since I last gorged myself on Akawan Fruit. I thank you for gathering for me, it almost seemed as if I was guided here by something. A voice spoke. “Wait a minute, did you follow my aura signal?” The Ultari asked. Almost as if it was in a thinking position, the Naganadel slowly scratched its chin.
Was that what it was? I could have sworn it was the scent of its nectar. Then again, it did not really have much of a smell now that I remember…It was almost like I was guided by instinct.
Zossie looked up at the strange looking Naganadel and reached out her hand towards it, the same one that had previously held the now consumed fruit. It tilted its head in curiosity, slowly flapping closer and closer to the ground to inspect what she was doing. Just as she slowly approached the xanthine Ultra Beast, a familiar presence could be felt. Both the beast and Zossie’s eyes slowly closed as their hearts seemingly became attuned to one another, beating in synchronicity. The beast could see the unfamiliar environments of her darkened homeworld, bearing witness to flashing images of her life. Zossie could see vignettes of a broader story: a dance in the sky, an eclipse, and its home among the treetops. Both of these visions had something in common: sanctuary. The visions slowly faded and Zossie looked back up towards the Naganadel, the beast doing the very same. Once more, it let out a quiet chuff, but this time it appeared to bow before her with its neck.
Now I understand why I came here. You were the one calling out for me to form a link with. Very well, Ultari. The bond has been formed, and I, Vi’shai, shall be your wings.
Even though nobody was there to bear witness her completion of the rite, Zossie still felt satisfied. At long last, she’d proven herself capable of doing something on her own, and in doing so finally came of age. The only thing left for her to do now was to take her first flight with Vi’shai to further deepen their bond. And so they soared amongst the towering canopy, the warmth of twin suns at their backs as both Zossie and the Naganadel began new chapters in the story of their lives.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Aether Paradise, Alola Region, Terra; 201◼️
All of her life’s work have culminated into this very moment. She sat behind a wall of heavily protected glass facing a monochromatic room, a peculiar device at its center. And within the device slept a specimen that would get her one step closer to attaining her ambitions that were once so out of reach. The most fundamental aspect of this plan half a lifetime in the making, and yet she didn’t know if it would even work. It was truly a shot in the dark.If she was able to pull it off, this would be a momentous occasion in the scientific world and open up new possibilities that were previously unable to be fathomed. She was only able to do this due to the acclimated wealth of her foundation, one disguised as a welfare organization that sought the conservation of all Pokèmon. That in of itself was a ruse. If she truly cared for the well-being of these creatures, she wouldn’t have okayed a project of designing genetically modified chimeric entities whose sole purpose was to act as a killing machine, but that was a different story. Her sole mission now seemed impossible in the eyes of many a shareholder. They were either busy investing in other projects, such as the one researching further into the elusive Great Crater of Paldea, or were too caught up in their own separate deals. What she sought to do was bend quantum mechanics at will and forcibly see for herself if there was anything else out there, because she had living proof be the very catalyst for this project. And she wanted to see the one that was taken from her so long ago, the driving force behind her seemingly blindly driven ambitions.Arceus willing, she was going to see her husband again after all this time, one way or another."It's time." She stated.Two scientists in white coats and golden-plated respirators then came forward and entered the enclosed area, opening a heavily locked metallic door in the process, the sound of pressurized air seeping throughout the protected chambers. They then walked towards two large machines pointed towards the slumbering specimen, still heavily sedated from trying to get it to stay still.With the press of a few buttons, a fluorescent blue light began to course through the devices, whirring on and starting to activate. More and more scientists then began to walk into the area in which the foundation's president and a few of her administrators were sitting front and center in front of the tempered glass. They all looked to the isolated chamber with looks of anticipation. A man wearing large green goggles then pressed a button that activated an intercom speaker, the blonde haired woman giving a subtle nod of approval. "Initiate startup sequence in 5...."The two scientists within the room flicked knobs and switches on the devices as the silent whirring continuously got louder and louder."4..."Immediately afterwards, they began to scramble back into the protective area, hoping not to get affected by any of the oncoming radiation that would be emitted from the resulting wormhole if things went right. "3..."A woman right next to the head of the organization took a deep sigh, hoping that things would go as planned and that there wouldn't be any form of malfunction."2..."As the man counted down, his heartrate continuously got faster and faster, both seemingly from a combination of nerves and excitement. He was about to bear witness history. "1."The blonde woman braced herself for the oncoming flash of bright light that was to occur as a result of the devices firing pure ionic energy at the device from where Cosmog slept. But in the end, the machines appeared to shut down, the fluorescent lighting of the room seemingly fading away.As did the rest of the facility's remaining electricity.The sounds of lights shutting down echoed throughout the confines of the lab. She subsequently sighed in defeat. Once more, it resulted in failure. But science was a series of trial and error. Her ambitions were still out of reach, adrift in the dark forest that is the endless universe. "And so we're back to square one...Wicke, please activate the backup generators as soon as you're able to." She asked her assistant."Right away, madam." The woman looked back at the man who initiated the startup sequence initially with a look of contempt. He then shrewdly tugged at his labcoat, seemingly awaiting beratement. "How many times is this experiment going to end in failure? You're the one in charge of the development of these machines, not me." "Perhaps there may have been a slight miscalculation, madam president.""There's seemingly always miscalculations whenever we try to force that...thing to cooperat-."Their conversation was seemingly halted when their emergency alert system suddenly blared on, echoing throughout both the lab and the entirety of the artificial island. In the detached room, despite still not having any power, something began to glow.And it wasn't the slumbering specimen.According to the radiation detectors on the outside control panels, a sudden spike in energy was detected. Upon looking at this increase, even more sirens began to wail. Instead of evacuating like any normal person would in this situation, Lusamine stood as still as a statue looking towards the sudden illumination with both awe and terror. She'd seen this light before. It was almost the same as the one that took her husband with it, never to be seen again. Upon this realization she ran right towards the tightly locked room where the singularity was unfolding."Madam Lusamine! Get back! It's too dangerous!" Her female assistant called out to her. But she refused to listen. Even though her initial plan to summon an Ultra Wormhole had failed, fate seemed to align as one was beginning to open right in front of her. Maybe, just maybe, she could see him again after all this time. She was almost drawn to it, like a Mothim to a flame. Carefully trying to retrieve the specimen, the tell-tale circular shape of the wormhole began to open, a blazing white light emanating in front of her. A shadowy figure then loomed in the distance. Maybe it was just her imagination. But that wasn't the case at all. And from that shadow, she could see a familiar shape: that of a person. Or rather two people. Slowly stepping back towards the white walls of the facility, she looked at the new arrivals that stood in front of her. These were people. People that weren't her husband.They were both clad in similar white and blue uniforms, almost resembling a slightly more armored version of those that the laboratory technicians wore. On their heads were massive helmets in the same color as their uniforms with visors covering their eyes.And the most striking thing about them was the color of their skin. Even with the glow of the wormhole still glowing barely, it seemed like they themselves were illuminated by faint traces of light akin to freckles scattered across their face. Their skin tone appeared to be that of an icy blue; initially she thought it was simply a trick of the light but as the wormhole began to fade away, the azure color on their bodies remained.What's more, their very presence was somewhat off-putting. In all her life, Lusamine had never shown fear other than the time her husband seemingly disappeared. She continuously began to walk backwards until her body was pressed upon the cold metallic door that separated them from the rest of the lab.Whilst doing so, the two mysterious people appeared to be talking to themselves in a language she couldn’t recognize. It wasn’t Alolan, it wasn’t one of the Eastern languages, and it surely wasn’t one of the three languages she was fluent in: Galarian, Kalosian or Paldean. They were peculiar in every sense of the word.The taller one of the pair seemingly locked eyes with Lusamine from behind their visor and began to approach her, once more speaking in the unfamiliar tongue. “Siai vak vha? Na’x ka ulux na Alola? Vha tayu il’e zak’un, Terranki,” They spoke. Lusamine didn’t reply because she couldn’t understand a thing of what they were saying.”Ah, I believe those of this realm do not speak Ultari’i. How peculiar. I suppose speaking in Terran will have to do. I am known as Dulse Ascoseira-ank’Colax, and the younger individual is Zos’thayuni Astera-ank’Rozoa. We have both come from…very far away in order to get here and we are in search of an organization known as the Aether Foundation. They may be able to assist us with our current situa-.””Sedate them.” The woman ordered. She quickly opened the door to reveal multiple employees with small syringes of anesthesia that were originally meant to put Pokèmon who were undergoing extreme medical treatment and quickly jabbed them through their clothing on their arms.If these strangers knew exactly where they were and who the Aether Foundation was, they were dangerous. They could potentially expose everything they were hiding beneath the surface under the guise of research and rehabilitation.Though a seemingly cruel measure, she thought it was necessary in order to keep herself and the rest of her employees safe. In a matter of minutes, they were both slumped over on the cold and chromatic floor. Her assistants slowly walked into the room glancing back at Lusamine. She was breathing rapidly and heavily out of fear because she realized what she’d done.First, she found out that there were other worlds and that life existed on them.Now she knew that there was sentient life out in the previously thought to be empty beyond. Initially, she would’ve been ecstatic about this discovery, but all she could feel was an overwhelming sense of foreboding. “What now?””Bring them to the medical sector. We need to get some samples.”Dulse’s eyelids and thin external membrane slowly peeled back to see that he was in an unfamiliar location. His hearts were still beating slowly due to suddenly becoming unconscious after arrival to this realm. Upon opening them, the first thing he saw was light. Blazing and radiant light. But it wasn’t that of a star, he then came to realize. Once more, he realized that their mission would be even more difficult than they initially imagined. He tried to move up, but his muscles were still stiffened and he then realized that there was some sort of a shackle around both of his arms when he reached for the distant radiance. Other devices seemed to be covered across his body, as he glanced to the side to see a tubular apparatus with his blood flowing though it and a sharpened edge pierced within his veins. As much as he tried to move, he couldn’t.He was essentially being held captive. What’s more was that he seemingly wasn’t alone in this state either. He was being continuously monitored by other humans who simply gazed down upon him with looks of contempt. There were screens across this chamber that seemingly showed data regarding vital signs. Those that were his own. Instead of focusing on the state he was currently in, these people were fixated on the data that they saw; that of his biologic and genetic makeup. Dulse then realized what was going on. He was being used as a living test subject. While he was unconscious, these humans were poking and prodding at him as if he were some specimen being prepared for dissection. The very thought of undergoing such horrific procedures made his skin crawl.But he had to remain calm and rational when faced in a circumstance no matter how unsettling it may be. His innate stoicism was what made him vice-commander of the Squadron, after all. Remain calm, Dulse. Just bide your time until all of this is over. He thought to himself.The sound of footsteps on the chromatic surface of the floor suddenly began to echo throughout the room he was confined in. A man clad in garish transparent green goggles then locked eyes with him, smirking snively at the very sight of him. "It seems that you're awake. The same cannot be said for your friend at the moment because she's been...what can I say, a very willing patron to our studies." Upon hearing this, his hearts began to beat faster with animosity setting in on his expression. They were doing the same horrible things that he was going through on Zossie. She was essentially a younger sister to him despite not being related by blood in addition to being a vital member of the Reconnaissance Squadron due to her technical brilliance. He tried to sever the cuffs binding him to the operation table, but they still refused to budge. "You barbarous humans! We ask for your cooperation and this is what we get in kind?! What have you done to us?! What have you done to Zos'thayuni?!" He glared back at the human and snarled, baring his somewhat sharpened canines at him.The human scientist then began to quietly chuckle in amusement at his attempt at intimidation. After the brief altercation, more scientists entered the room with sharp syringes potentially filled with more sedatives. The rightfully angered Ultari decided to calm himself, albeit slightly, in order to avoid meeting the same fate as his young compatriot. "What are you talking about? We haven't done a thing to you; Dulse, was it? All we're doing is conducting a simple biologic analysis of your anatomy to see if there is anything of note, and as luck would have it, you and your friend are very peculiar indeed." The bastardly scientist replied, with a false sense of reassurance lingering within his voice.So his assumptions about being probed were correct. The human then began to tap away at a small handheld tablet (seemingly obsolete technology in the eyes of his people), and pull up some of the data he had "discovered" onto an overhead monitor. Other scientists, including that woman he had tried to talk to but was met with the immediate command of tranquilization, watched from behind a wall of thick glass reinforced with steel. What was shown was a series of images that included magnified scans of their skin showing the small rigid scales and chromatophores that composed them. The scientists began murmuring and looking at the magnified skin cells with awe.”As you can see here, instead of the normal squamous skin cells that we are more familiar with, these two have a composition of what appear to be smooth and microscopically small scales similar to those found on specific dragon-type species. In addition, it appears that they contain cells with bioluminescent properties,” The man with the tablet explained. It then moved to another slide, one showing yet another microscopic examination but this time of their blood. Even more muffled conversation could be faintly heard from behind the glass. “Instead of hemoglobin, they possess traces of hemocyanin within their blood. What’s more, upon further inspection, instead of iron being the most prevalent metallic compound in the blood’s composition, it is in fact copper instead.”Dulse continued to sit in silence. He didn’t have time to hear a convoluted explanation of their own species’ biology told poorly by that of an outsider. The lengthy seminar went on and on, as they showcased thermal images and x-rays. It showed that their body temperature indicated that they were warm-blooded, but the actual temperature itself was significantly colder than that of a human’s. Upon the scientist’s announcement that their bones were refined with silicon and were translucent, almost crystalline, even more uproar could be heard from the wall behind him. The last slide of the presentation began to show, and it was that showcasing their genetic makeup. The rest of the humans went silent as they gazed up at the results. There was no existing data for the DNA sample and seemingly no other genetic ancestors or relatives that were already archived. Even the man in charge of presenting had his jaw agape. “I…I can’t believe it. We’ve just solved the Fermi Paradox. Initially, I thought they were just pale humans due to the light emitting from the wormhole but…no. There’s other sentient life out there. And we finally have proof. After years of silence and searching for answers that were seemingly always out of reach, we finally have something.”The woman from behind the glass spoke, he voice echoing from an overhead intercom. Upon the end of the announcement, everyone fell silent, except for the man who conducted the experiments on them to begin with clapping as a sign of satisfaction at his newfound discoveries. The man stopped when he realized that the blonde-haired human was glaring knives at him in disapproval due to his unprofessional conduct. The thin wall of glass that divided Dulse and Zossie from one another began to rise, the sound of mechanical whirring humming in the room. From the side of his vision, he could faintly see his partner slowly begin to regain consciousness, detecting her familiar aura signature from afar. Thank the Blinding One, she was still alive. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. But this ordeal wasn’t over. The slight tapping of heels then echoed on the floor, as the blonde haired woman decided to walk in to the facility to see them for themselves. She glanced at them both with looks of curiosity and intrigue, almost as if they were oddities. “I apologize for our initial and abrupt introduction. My name is Lusamine, president of the Aether Foundation. I believe you said your name was Dulse, while the young girl was…””Zossie.” He bluntly replied. “Right, thank you. As I recall, you were initially asking for assistance with something, correct? Would you mind giving an explanation on why you’re here to even begin with. To know if you’re friend or if you’re foe, so to speak.” She continued. Right after they were sedated, this woman was finally ready for some cooperation? Was she crazy? Dulse had never seen such a mercurial display of behavior, but he was desperate for assistance in their current endeavor. If he told her everything they would probably back out of their end of the deal. He sighed and looked directly at Lusamine, his silvery eyes gazing right into her core. “Very well. We are of a people known as the Ultari, and our world is in grave peril. All that we ask is that you help us return what we once lost so long ago because we believe this realm is the crux in achieving our goals.””What exactly did you lose?””Light.”
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Caecilius N800 (Ultra Megalopolis), 201◼️
In eras long since forgotten, those of the Great City would celebrate and give tribute to the Blinding One during holy days and festivals. Songs of worship and reverence were sung, people offered gifts as tribute and often prayed for prosperity whilst doing so in the hallowed walls of the Tower of Light. At the end of it all, it culminated with the release of hundreds of thousands of small phosphorescent lanterns into the night sky, adding more and more radiance to the distant stars beyond. Those bygone days were all but fleeting. The Purge of Light halted all subsequent worship of the Blinding One as it was the thing that brought their newfound demise. The place that once acted as a great temple of its glory became its prison.The land grew barren and cold. Countless lives were lost. A bitter conflict between those who saw it as nothing more than a monster and those who still revered the fallen deity clashed and nearly engulfed the realm in war. Those ancient songs were silenced, all but seemingly forgotten for millennia. The hope the people held within their hearts had long since faded. That was until today. For the first time in thousands of cycles, the songs of eld echoed across the Great City and beyond. It was in reverence to both the light that was finally returned unto them and the one who made it all possible: eo Illuminari. The Lightbringer. But unlike the Blinding One, the Lightbringer was…well for one thing, mortal. She was in fact a young Terran who helped to quell its fury and manage to return it to its senses as it accompanied her on her travels. The very thought that a cosmic deity of light would bend to the will of a human seemed inconceivable in the minds of Ultari. However, that was their strange reality. The young human had returned to Ultra Megalopolis after finding the shattered shards of the Blinding Ones essence in order to return them to it. And to return it to its rightful place among the stars in Ultra Space. Some were skeptical of whether or not the Blinding One’s return so shortly after it devastated the area was a good idea to begin with. The Lightbringer claimed she was doing this because it felt wrong to have that much power in her hands. Again, she was only human and extremely young to have such an immense burden on her shoulders.She thought it was only right to return the once hollow and empty creature back to its former self and walk among the people who so fervently revered it once more. The young human ascended Megalo Tower with a procession behind her, those of the Reconnaissance Squadron and citizens of the city clad in robes of pure white, flowing softly ever as they walked up the Tower of Light. The Lightbringer was wearing similar robes, except her’s was embellished with golden filigree and bore a crown that mirrored the shape of the sun’s rays as its light scatters across the dawn.Those behind her were holding the small lanterns associated with this rite whilst the human clung on tightly to a metallic purple sphere and a satchel full of jewels. Upon reaching the highest point of the monolith, the human paused and slowly took a few steps near its central platform, the rest of those following her halting behind. She pressed the center of the metallic sphere and a burst of light shot forth from it, culminating in the formation of a crystalline creature. The murmuring of people could be heard, some being frightened at its very presence.It was not too long after this being nearly razed the entire city, and the common people were rightfully concerned. Were they here to repeat the same tragedy that befell their realm thousands of cycles ago after their precious light had just finally returned to them after so long? If that was the case, the crystal entity would’ve unleashed its fury once more, but it simply hovered above the human, gazing down at her. She then bowed, placing one of her knees on the chromatic surface of the tower, and placed the satchel full of gemstones before the creature before gazing back up at its prismatically colored eyes. “O illustrious and radiant Blinding One, I humbly offer tribute towards your eternal glory. May the Light that Burns the Sky shine for all eternity across all realms,” The human spoke.The Ultari behind her then followed her lead and subsequently bowed before its presence. The Blinding One, however, appeared to be confused as to what was happening to begin with. Its body rung with a quiet humming noise as it looked down to the reverent crowd before it.
What…is this?
Its voice echoed through the human’s mind alone. “A homecoming of sorts. Remember all that running around we did on the islands that seemed like we were just backtracking? All of that was for a reason. I was gathering the leftover Z-Crystals.”
Yes, I was aware of that endeavor, human. But why hath you returned me unto my prison? Why are these people showing their praise towards me? Was it not I who caused their world to suffer for thousands of lifetimes, and they who in turn caused me to suffer?
The beast’s voice suddenly turned from confusion to subtle anger, a slight growl lingering with its tone. The crowd behind shuddered in response to its apparent disdain hoping that its fury wouldn't be unleashed once more. “Remain calm, citizens. The Blinding One means no ill will.” The vice-captain of the Recon Squad addressed the masses with a calm and reassuring tone whilst the human continued her conversation with the lingering beast. “I know its hard to come back here after all this time, but these people aren’t the ones who hurt you. The descendants of the ones who experimented on you dedicated their whole lives to seeing you restored to your former glory. Things change, time goes on, and scars heal. I want to fulfill that promise I made to help you, and I think this is the best way to do it.”She opened up the satchel of loose Z-Crystals and held up one in particular, one that shone with a peculiar luminance among the others: Ultra Necrozium-Z. The rest of the crystals scattered across the ground beneath Necrozma’s feet. Once more, it looked at her in confusion.
The shards of my essence…you are returning them unto me?
The human nodded in response and then looked back to the crowd once again. “These people need you, Necro-. No, Blinding One. You gave them hope during their most desperate hours. You brought back the light after thousands of years living in shadow. A deity needs its people as people need their deity.”
But I was the one who wrought their destruction and yet…
”And yet their hope remained.” A soft grumbling noise emanated from Necrozma, but it wasn't that of malcontent. Its eyes locked on to the mass of Ultari kneeled down before it, its brain prism shimmering with the faint glow of the lanterns that had yet to take flight. It reached its ebon claws towards the ground, scooping up the rest of the scattered Z-Crystals. The fragments of its being it once lost. A subtle shine began to emanate within Necrozma every time it picked one up, regaining the parts of itself it once lost all those millennia ago. It then fixated its gaze on the very last piece it was missing, the lustrous Ultra Necrozium-Z. The creature slowly hovered downward towards the Lightbringer, Selene, placing its cold body on her forehead, its brain prism illuminating with more color than it ever had been before. In that moment, it knew what was going on.She was saying goodbye. The human had contained it as a necessity to keep it in check, but now things were different. It wasn’t like she thought it was obsolete, in fact it was the opposite. “It’s time, Necrozma. Return to your people.” She held out the last shard in front of the creature, and it reached out towards it in kind.They had made their peace and said their goodbyes to one another. It was being released. Its body then began to shift and rearrange itself, no longer in its hollowed and empty state as a brilliant light burst forth from its crystalline skeleton. The scourge of the stars was no longer. In its place was the one spoken of in songs and myths from all over Ultra Space, the embodiment of radiance itself. The Blinding One. Its body hummed with the primordial music of the universe, and those prostrated before it lent their voices unto the chorus. They began to sing their praises and released the small lanterns they clung onto into the distant sky beyond, illuminating the once starless horizon stretched before them. People began to cheer and cry, being moved by the scene that had just unfolded.A gentle hand tapped the humans shoulder, that of the youngest member of the Reconnaissance Squadron as the rest of them glanced back at her with a sense of gratitude across their expression. She then subsequently hugged the rest of her Ultari companions, with flickering tears of joy streaming down her face whilst the songs of forgotten ages echoed across city once more after thousands of years of silence.In that moment, the long era of darkness in Ultra Megalopolis came to an end, and a new age of light had begun.
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Hisui Region, Terra, 18◼️◼️
Once again, a space-time rip tore open in the open plains of the Obsidian Fieldlands, enveloping the land below with its dome-like presence. Wild Pokèmon immediately began to scatter among its opening, fleeing as soon as the cracks in the sky began to appear.They’d been appearing more and more lately to the dismay of the creatures and people living here, even though in this era their lives were completely separate. For one thing, anyone and anything knew that being caught in the middle of a distortion would be a death sentence. That was something that even the most experienced member of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron couldn’t have possibly known. Hypothetically speaking, wormholes and space-time rips were essentially the same thing, but things about them were slightly different.Only the most studious of quantum physicists and cosmologists would offer to give a long-winded explanation about the mechanics of inter-dimensional travel, but the poor Ultari who crash landed here after going through the wrong warp hole wasn’t in that department. She was a member of the xenobotany sector. And the first interaction with the plant matter of this planet was that of grass all over her protective equipment and in her mouth. Sputtering it out, she looked up to see that she was not in Ultra Forest, the destination she was supposed to be headed towards to begin with. But somehow she and her Lunala, Meteion, went through the incorrect portal and ended up in the one realm where they weren’t supposed to intervene, even in the most menial of ways. Terra. But something was off. Since when did Terra did experience localized spatial-temporal phenomena on a normalized basis? If that was the case, then the interaction between the two species would be a lot more frequent compared to the way it was now; Ultari knew about mankind but humans didn’t realize there was life beyond the seemingly endless horizon. Speaking of which, where was her mount anyway? It seemed that it wasn’t with her in the distortion pocket. Maybe it sustained injuries and flew away somewhere to recover. Or there was the other possibility that she fell off whilst making their descent. Amytis hoped it wasn’t the latter. She slowly began to pick herself off the ground, trying to regain her balance and get used to her surroundings. The sky above Amytis was seemingly brimming with energy even though her scanners and other devices were currently offline and she couldn’t get an accurate reading. She also had no idea where on Terra she was, so as soon as she exited this dome-like anomaly, who could tell what creatures were out there. Or better yet, what was she stuck here with in here? She frantically looked around the area to see if there was anything in her line of sight, but she couldn’t find anything. But then she could sweat she felt the soft earth beneath her feet begin to shift, slowly rumbling under the rest of the flatlands. The shaking then abruptly turned into a quake as something burst forth from underground as if it was tunneling around her the entire time. What she saw was unlike any Ultra Beast she’d encountered in the past.It appeared to be a serpent whose body was made entirely of rigid metal and stone, its red eyes fixated on her in particular. It let out a low growl before emitting a roar that somehow caused her entire body to vibrate and gnashing its massive jaws right at her. She didn’t have time to observe this creature; she had to run or else she would be an easy meal for whatever this rocky snake was. Luckily, Amytis had a head start compared to the creature and she sprinted as fast as she could trying to escape the space-time distortion. The only thing she failed to consider was this thing’s sheer size and bulk. It towered over her like a small building, and if she was in its direct path, then there was a chance that she would’ve been crushed immediately whenever it lumbered closer. The threshold of the rift was in sight and all she had to do to get out was keep on running. Even though she was starting to get exhausted doing so because of her heavy equipment, she knew it was the only way to flee. Every time the beast slithered closer and closer, the ground below shook until she finally reached the threshold of the distortion, the creature loudly groaning in defeat as she got away.Its familiar darkness faded away as soon as Amytis took a single step outside and saw something truly remarkable yet mundane in the eyes of the humans who inhabited this realm. The landscape that was stretched before her was full of life. Sounds of what she thought were melodic songs echoed across the clusters of trees until she saw a flock of small avian creatures soar overhead, casting a shadow over her. In the distance she could faintly see a herd of quadrupeds with flaming manes stroll across the plains as they grazed on tall grasses. And most importantly, there was light. Warm and brilliant light that shone all over this world. There were small artificial suns in the greenhouses and bio-labs back in Ultra Megalopolis, but its radiance couldn’t compare to that of the real thing.She simply just stood there, basking in its comfort whilst observing the scenery as a gentle breeze softly lingered. The only time she’d bore witness to such a lush place was in simulations and in those artificial spaces in her cold and dying world.Maybe when light returned, her homeworld would look like this once more as it once did in ages past, but that was all merely a dream instead of something that was within her grasp. As she stood there, her fleeting solace seemed to vanish upon realizing that she was lost with no way to communicate with other members of the squadron due to there not being an available signal and the fact that her mount was stars-knows where. If there wasn’t a signal, then there wouldn’t be any way of those of the Recon Squad to know that she was in immediate danger.And that gave her an idea. Quite frankly, an extremely stupid one that could endanger the existence of her people and their long-standing law of refraining from interacting with this realm. Using her visor’s magnifiers, she could see that there was a small encampment a few miles away and it wasn’t that far of a walk to get there. A lone human sat diligently, patrolling the area to see if there was anything dangerous in the perimeter.This person seemed to know what they were doing, and they were probably a sentry judging by their demeanor. And if things went well, she could potentially find some semblance of civilization amongst the vast wilderness. Amytis took a deep breath before slowly walking towards the makeshift camp, eying the man on guard. His gaze immediately fixated on her’s, and he glanced at her with a quizzical look in his expression. “Can I help you, ma’am?” He asked. She froze somewhat, trying not to utter anything in Ultari’i since she wasn’t completely fluent in any of the Terran languages. “I…lost. Do you know where settlement is?” Stars above, her Terran was worse than that of a human child. The man looked up and down at her uniform, continuing to look at her with curiosity. “You certainly don’t look like you’re around here…You’re asking where Jubelife Village is, right? I’ll take you there, but only because you asked, okay stranger? Let’s just say they don’t take too kindly to outsiders, unless you’re that kid who climbed the ranks of the expedition team.” He rambled.Wait a second. This human mentioned something about an expedition team. Did this mean that there was a Terran equivalent of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron and that he was a part of it?She had several questions she wanted to ask but she couldn’t due to the language barrier and the fact that she didn’t want to reveal to this stranger she literally met minutes ago she was from another dimension. Despite all these thoughts flowing through Amytis’ mind, she had to respond to the human or else that would’ve been considered rude.”Thank you.” She said quietly as she began to follow the man’s lead into the human village.As she walked under the towering gateway that led to the central avenue of the village, she was met once more with people staring at her from all across different stalls and personal dwellings. Some of the villagers were murmuring things to one another as she continued to walk down the unpaved path. Some people were louder than others, it seemed.“Almighty Sinnoh, that woman’s outfit is so garish!””Someone that pale of skin has to be a spirit, that’s for certain.””What is it with the Galaxy Team always finding random stowaways?” Immediately after her arrival, the small village was filled with commotion and all they could seem to talk about was her. Way to go with trying to lay low and avoid any human interaction.After crossing a wide wooden bridge over a flowing stream, she was led to a large brick and stone building with billowing pipes of steam and a peculiar insignia at its center on a large circular window above the doors. She’d seen that symbol before, and that was because the man who brought her here to begin with had one on his clothing. Could this be the headquarters to that expedition team he was talking about?”Wait out here, please. I’m going to notify Captain Cyllene of your arrival, and she’s not fond of unprompted entry. Especially from strangers.” The man spoke before opening up the heavy-looking doors of the building. If this was the headquarters of the Recon Squad-adjacent organization, then it certainly was different to say the least. Human architecture appeared to be a lot more rustic compared to that of the city she dwelled in. For one thing, this place seemed to only have a population in the low thousands as opposed to the millions of Ultari in the Megalopolis.It was also probably due to their seemingly primitive technology. The humans here appeared to rely heavily on steam power instead of electricity or other more proficient ways of harnessing energy, but maybe they didn’t have the means or ingenuity to do so yet. As she waited, someone in the corner of her field of vision caught her eye. It was another man, but this time his outfit was different compared to that of the man who brought her here; it appeared to be an apron with a different insignia printed on it along with a blue and white coat.Golden-blonde hair covered a single silver eye whilst the other one appeared to lock on to her, knowing that she was looking at him. As he approached, Amytis could detect something…off about his aura signature.It was still that of a human, but an air of darkness somewhat lingered around him. She slowly backed away and stood her ground as he got closer to her. “So you’re the newcomer everyone in town’s been talking about? Come now, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m Volo of the Gingko Guild. Now, pray tell, what is your name?””Amytis.” She simply stated her first name. Humans didn’t share the same naming conventions as Ultari, she had learned prior to this expedition.”It’s nice to meet you, Amytis. Now, that’s a name I’ve never heard before. Is it from another region?” Vikha.He was on to her. It appeared that this human was trying to discern if she truly was an outsider or not, but even still she couldn’t say anything about where she came from or what she truly was. All she did was nod whilst the man slowly pointed at the top of his forehead in a thinking position."How interesting... Ah! My apologies for prying into your personal space while you wait out here; there's just something about you I find highly peculiar. Just so you know, you’re not the first one to come out from a space-time distortion. Anyways, I have some unfinished business to attend to. I hope to continue our little talk soon.”He then walked down the brick steps of the headquarter’s entrance returning to the small merchant cart he was originally situated at, waving his hand as a gesture of some sort. Amytis didn’t even have time to talk back to the man and he left almost as soon as he arrived. Much like Volo had inquired about her, there was something peculiar about this human as well. As he left, the doors to the headquarters began to open, with the man who brought her here holding it for her. “Captain Cyllene has agreed to meet with you. She’s waiting for you in her quarters on the third floor.”The room she was situated in was quite large, almost akin to that of an office with a desk right at its center and a blackboard with different assignments for other members of the expedition team to complete. A woman with pale blue hair, almost the same color as her complexion sat at the desk, now focused her attention to this newfound stranger in her office as she was seated. She glanced at her with a stern look in her eyes, holding some documents in her lap. “You may enter.” The woman, Cyllene she remembered her name was, said in a serious tone. Amytis then presented herself before her, making a bowing gesture that members of the Recon Squad would take when reporting to their superiors.“So, you’re the talk of the town I’ve kept on hearing about. Judging by your appearance, you seem to know your way outdoors since you’re in full protective equipment. Impressive,” She spoke whilst observing her pure white armor.”Thank you.””However, if you wish to stay here, you’ll need to prove yourself not to be useless. Though I’ve made an exception in the past, I won’t allow you to simply just join the Galaxy Expedition Team without showing me you’re fit for the tasks at hand.” Where did she get the idea that she wanted to join this Expedition team from? She was loyal to the Ultra Recon Squad and them alone! If she abandoned her post in order to live among some random humans, she would essentially be in exile away from the rest of her compatriots and a traitor to her people for revealing their existence. And besides, she was content being a researcher of plants from other worlds instead of being on the front lines as a field researcher. Amytis was befuddled. “I don’t want job. Already loyal to other group.” She replied, once again in broken Terran. “My apologies. I was unaware you were already affiliated with a regiment elsewhere. The reason I asked was that there is a new assignment for members of the Survey Corps, but at this time our two most experienced members are busy with other missions. And since you affirmed my assumptions that you had field experience, I was going to ask for assistance, even though it seems like I’m desperate for more able and willing bodies around here.” “What.. is mission?” “Just a few hours ago, those in the Pearl Clan encampment came across what appeared to be an injured Pokèmon that hid itself in the nearby mountains. A sentry of the clan got involved and nearly got hurt themselves since they got too close to it. From the reports I’ve gotten, it is quite strong. Somehow its strength is on par with that of the esteemed Nobles, which in of itself is an anomaly. We don’t want whatever it is causing trouble since people’s lives are potentially at stake here.” Amytis’ eyes widened. Could this wounded Pokèmon possibly be Meteion? The timeframe of her arrival through the distortion appeared to line up perfectly since she hadn’t even been in this realm for a full day, and from the description, it seemed likely. Lunala were incredibly powerful creatures, probably the likes of which humans haven’t witnessed.Which could mean some complications. They didn’t know that it actually belonged to someone; they just thought it was wild like most of the other creatures living in this realm. She abruptly slammed her fists on the wooden desk Cyllene was situated at and stood up. “I go! Might know what creature is and be of help.””Are you certain you wish to go through with this? You could potentially get hurt, or even worse! The Alabaster Icelands is home to some of the most treacherous landscape in all of Hisui and I-. We don’t want a civilian like you to be collateral damage staining the outstanding reputation of the Galaxy Team.” As if some place with a bunch of ice was going to stop her. There were several realms in Ultra Space that were more dangerous than the glacial landscape she was describing. She wasn’t going to let some snow and this human get in her way of getting back her one way ticket out of Terra and back to her actual destination. “Please, let me go. I want to help you. I may seem…unfit, but I can do this.” Amytis said with resolve. This was the first time she had fully formed a sentence in a human language, and on Terra no less. Cyllene closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sighing afterwards, then glancing back up at the Ultari. “Very well. Since you seem so adamant about doing this, I will allow you to go. Never in all of my years has someone been so persistent on wanting to do an assignment. You appear to have your own equipment intact, but feel free to utilize anything we have lying around. All that I ask is that you be careful,” She answered. Amytis once more made a bowing gesture towards Cyllene before leaving her quarters. After she left, the captain muttered something under her breath.“Almighty Sinnoh, please guide her path. I don’t want unnecessary blood on my hands.”It was just as the human had warned her, this journey was long and treacherous. The place she was headed was in one of the northernmost parts of the entire region and could potentially take days on foot just to get to the Pearl Settlement alone. There was the icy terrain and the wild Pokèmon that dwelled there that posed as hazards to any wayward traveller who would dare to foolishly venture to the tundra.The cold wind that blew across her newfound surroundings reminded her of the freezing temperatures of her homeworld, but there was something else scattered all over the ground alongside the ice and frost. It appeared to glimmer like small diamonds, ephemerally glistening as they drifted on the wind before coalescing into a solid form. Perhaps this was the “snow” she once read about.Though captivating, Amytis couldn’t lose sight of her destination. In her hearts, she knew that Meteion was out there one way or another in the frozen empty. As she continued to venture forth, she saw even more Pokèmon that were unfamiliar to her try to seek shelter and solace in the snow. It almost seemed as if she was the only one here in this bleak and lifeless land. As she walked, she was starting to grow hungry and tired. Lucky for her, there was sustenance in the form of some leftover food provided by the expedition team. She had no idea what it was, only knowing that it was known as “potato mochi” and that it was a local specialty in the village. Though it wasn’t warm and fresh, Amytis savored it since it was a lot more flavorful than the dull-tasting nutritional supplements the Recon Squad utilized as rations on field research expeditions. After her impromptu meal, she marched on, leaving nothing behind but footsteps in the snow. She would then come across a flowing river that then led into a faraway lake with chunks of glacial ice floating amongst the current. There appeared to be no way for her to cross the rushing waters until she saw a bridge of wood and stone that was connected to the other side of the icelands, that of steep cliffs that towered over the rest of the barren snowscape.If there was a bridge constructed out here amidst the white empty, then that would mean traces of civilization was nearby. And from what she recalled from Cyllene's instructions, the only human settlement around these parts was where she was headed to begin with.Even still, she was uncertain. There had to be a sign, at least a small indication that the lost Lunala was near. And so, she stretched out an open palm, trying to focus and find Meteion's aura signature. That of dazzling radiance of the moone. She remained as still as the outstretched lands before her and concentrated. They were both linked together, and if she was calling out to it, then maybe it would respond in turn. But Amytis was quickly met with silence, only being broken by the sound of howling arctic winds. Maybe she truly was stuck here and that this journey was all for naught. Yet something within her told her not to give up just yet, and still hold out for a sign. Staying still wasn't going to make the search any easier, so she decided to continue onwards into the Pearl Clan settlement, not knowing what would await her. Much like her first encampment she encountered, there was a sentry diligently on guard watching the perimeter of the area to see if any wild creatures would dare to enter. What the sentry wasn't expecting was a young woman clad in pure white with skin an icy blue pale, mirroring a folktale of a female snow spirit that would lure men to their demise and freeze them to death. He locked eyes with Amytis and immediately ran towards the center of the settlement, screaming in fear at the very sight of her. "Almighty Sinnoh! There's a yuki-onna here! We're in grave danger!" He started yelling hysterically, alerting the attention of the rest of the people within the encampment. This was not the way Amytis wanted to introduce herself to these humans, and she herself didn't expect such a reaction either. She wasn't familiar with the myth, so there was no way of knowing what in the worlds he was blabbering about.And, yet again, these humans kept on saying "almighty Sinnoh" whenever they came across her. Maybe it was an entity they revered that was similar to the Blinding One, but she couldn't know for certain. Her top priority was still trying to find Meteion, and so she followed the man into the small settlement. "Wait! I don't mean harm!" She called out. The rest of the people within the hamlet locked eyes with her, and once more she was the center of attention. One person in particular who came out of the largest of the scattered tents of the settlement was focused on her, and started to approach.She was a young woman with short hair, wearing a headdress of some sort and an outfit that quite frankly was unfitting for this environment, that being a flowing pink skirt and a sleeveless top. Much like her entrance in the first village, she was immediately singled out as an "other". Someone who shouldn't even be here to begin with. "Lady Irida. Please be carefu-." The sentry calmly addressed the woman."You need to calm yourself. This isn't a snow spirit, it's a person. You need to stop causing unnecessary panic among us. But then again, what is a person doing all the way out here?" She replied in a calm yet serious tone. She then turned back at Amytis, gazing directly at her. "You stand before Irida, leader of the Pearl Clan. For what reason have you come all this way?""I...look for someone. My companion was lost. Was told that they are here." She once again made the same bowing position that she presented herself towards Cyllene with. She said she was a clan leader, so she was a figure of authority and seemingly demanded respect. "You're the only person who's come here in the past couple of weeks aside from those of our own kin. However, you're not the only unwarranted arrival we've had so far." Amytis' eyes widened as soon as Irida mentioned this. "We have no idea where this Pokémon came from or what it even is. For some reason, it doesn't appear to be aggressive, but it has lashed out at some of us out of fear. I would advise you stay away from it."That description perfectly described Meteion. One way or another, she was going to convince this clan leader to see her companion again and get off of this planet. "Let me see, please." She asked. "You do know it could lash out again and that you might get hurt, right? I'd advise against i-."Irida's warning was then abruptly cut off by a high-pitch screech that echoed throughout the mountain peaks. The rest of the villagers looked up and around to see what was the source of the noise, but Amytis immediately recognized it. It was that of her otherworldly ally.
Mahinaaaa!!!
Its massive wings cast a shadow over both Amytis and Meteion as it slowly hovered close to the ground, reuniting with its rider. It then glared around at the human populace, letting out a quiet hiss in response to their horrified appearances. "How in the world did it escape?! We had its wings bolted to the ground in the settlement's outskirts and-." The sentry then joined the conversation. Amytis glared at him with condemnation in her eyes, abhorred to hear that he was in fact responsible for her companion's suffering. "Why would you do such a horrid thing?! Have you humans no shame?" She spat in her native tongue. The villagers then fell silent, softly murmuring amongst themselves as they hadn't a clue what she was saying. She then tried to recompose herself as she gently stroked Meteion's head, alight with the faint twinkling of starlight-esque bioluminescence. The beast then let out another soft cry, this time that of content. They were finally together again at last. But they failed to keep their existences a secret, exposing their likeliness to these humans in a foreign land. Irida then slowly approached Amytis, glancing up at the Lunala with her eyes seemingly aglow with wonder.“I see. Thats why you came all this way. This was your companion you kept on talking about.”The Ultari nodded in response. “Please, do not tell others of us. All I want is to return home.” “And where might your home be?” “Far. Very, very far.” She had to be as vague as possible in order to avoid telling too much about her homeworld or the other realms of Ultra Space. “Your companion…it almost seems as if its wings contains the flowing expanse of space itself. It’s beautiful, almost on par with…Never mind. I’m getting lost in thought. I truly hope you find your way back from whence you came from, but for now, you can stay with us until this snowstorm staves off.” “I would like that.” She smiled while Meteion hummed quietly in content.As everyone else in the village slept under the cover of moonlight, Amytis was awake. Though the others of the village seemingly thought her as nothing more than an interloper, others were interested in hearing stories of where she came from, including another person who had apparently fallen from a rift in space-time. She indulged in yet another Terran specialty earlier into the night as a meal with the others, a pot of boiling broth with thinly sliced game and root vegetables along with steamed rice that was quite comforting despite never having it in her life. Amytis was grateful that the human clan leader had shown her kindness even though she was almost certain she would be met with disdain. She quietly exited the tent that she was situated in, and decided to head out only to find that Meteion was already waiting for her lead. But what she didn’t know was that she wasn’t the only one awake at this hour. The clan leader was up as well. Surprised at this, Amytis staggered back. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Its just…I wanted to see you off. I hope you get back to your home safely, wherever that may be.” “You are too kind. But reme-.””I promise not to tell anyone where you’re from or that you were even here to begin with. Your secret’s safe with me.””Thank you.” She smiled slightly whilst climbing atop Meteion’s glowing wings that shone brightly under the veil of night. As it began to take flight, the snow below them stirred with every one of its wing beats before letting out a quiet shriek into the darkness. Its face began to glow with a soft light, culminating in the presence of its third eye as it drew in nearby energy trying to summon a small Ultra Wormhole in the sky. With one last flap of its wings, it took off, soaring into the starry heavens above. The lone human watched in awe of what she saw that night, knowing that she was the only soul for miles and for centuries to know the existence of life beyond the horizon.
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Route 8, Alola Region, Terra; 2017
Dulse should’ve known it would have come to this. The Aether Foundation only sought their collaboration due to their extensive knowledge of Ultra Space in order to satiate its leader’s ambitions. And to think that its president would have the gall to open an unmonitored rift right in the middle of their headquarters, trying to commune with one of the most hostile entities in all of the known worlds. But at the same time, it was to be expected. These were the same humans that literally experimented on them in order to find out if they truly were out of this world, so to speak. Then there was that young human with the bangle containing high levels of aura, seemingly going from island to island completing trials as a rite of passage of some sort that was unique to this region of Terra. Their courage in the face of adversity was also something of note, as they came toe-to-toe with the Symbiont beast and won against it in combat. Very few members of the Recon Squad who faced one in close quarters survived, especially those who did so on their own.But how in the worlds was a child, of all people, going to help them quell the Blinding One’s seemingly eternal madness and strife? They seemed to have no idea of the entity’s existence either, nor did the foundation that they first arrived at. It seemed like they were going in circles, going from island to island trying to find some semblance of a solution.The only leads they had were scant mentions of a being clad in ebon crystal in ancient manuscripts, giving them a hint that its shattered form must have came to these islands several cycles ago. Even then, that could only be a mythological interpretation of what really occurred so they weren’t entirely certain. They were running out of both time and options to find a way to control Necrozma’s power, and if they didn’t find anything, then the fate of all realms hinged on this one solution. And Dulse, the cold, calculative, and level-headed vice-captain of all people was feeling something he was unfamiliar with: desperation. There was nowhere to run and nobody to turn to.That was until he heard rumors circulating about a human with technological prowess the likes of which were unseen and unheard of stationed in the outskirts of one of the four islands.Lucky for them, they were on said island the human scientist was on, and it was quite easy to figure out where their makeshift laboratory was, considering it was essentially a large metallic trailer in the middle of one of the designated “routes” people of this realm usually followed to get from destination to destination. Initially Dulse was hesitant about reaching out to a human for assistance, but once again, he was desperate. He would do anything to fulfill the mission he and his compatriot were given. Sighing deeply, he glanced at Zossie before knocking on the chromatic door to see if there was anyone inside of the makeshift lab. “Are you sure this is really a good idea, Dulse?” She asked. “I…am not certain myself. But we are running out of options and time is of the essence. If the Aether Foundation truly wished to cooperate with us on our objective, they would have said so outright instead of using us for their own plans.”“Guess we don’t have much of a choice now, do we?”“The only way to know is to try.” He gently tapped his fist onto the metal door, the sound of it clanking reverberating across the entire structure. Dulse then slowly stepped backwards away from the entry in case someone was to answer them. There was a brief pause before the door creaked open to reveal a man in a heavy-duty lab coat with peculiar devices embedded in both his sleeves. His hair was also styled in a particularity odd style for that of a human; short and blond with an almost circular streak of light blue. The pigmentation of his eyes was almost the same color as his hair, both being a pale yellow.And his complexion was stranger still, somehow being more pale than the porcelain hue of the Aether Foundation president despite being in a relatively warm and humid part of the region. He peered at the duo briefly, making note of their unconventional attire. “Hm? I was not expecting any visitors to show up today. What is it that you’ve come here for?” He asked. “Are you the one known as Colress?” Dulse asked. ”Quite the astute observation, stranger. He and I are one and the same. Now, if I may ask once more; why are you here?””We need your help with something. We heard you’re a really smart scientist and that you might be able to aid us.” Zossie chimed in. “Well then, your assumptions are correct. I am indeed a scientist, but my field of work is…highly specific to say the least. You may enter and we’ll promptly continue this conversation, since it seems that it’s a private matter of sort.” Colress responded.Dulse had a look of shock after hearing that the human he’d just met knew that their situation was dire and that nobody was to know about their mission aside from other members of the Reconnaissance Squadron. ”How did yo-.””Just my intuition. Come now, will you?” A wry smirk befell Colress’ expression.He then gestured the two squadron members inside of his temporary quarters. Dulse hoped that this run-in with a human scientist wouldn’t be as bad as their first encounter with one (and that they wouldn’t be experimented on in the process). When they entered, they were met with a surprisingly spacious and chromatic area with different computer parts and other scraps of technological equipment lying around, along with an extremely intricate display that was only comparable to those found in the Aether Foundation or URS labs. Why did this random human of all people have access to this technology, and how did he get his hands on it? “This is quite the impressive lab setup you have here! What is it exactly that you research, mister?” The young auburn-haired engineer inquired. “Zossie, you needn’t ask unnecessary questions.” Dulse riposted. Colress let out a quiet laugh as they seemingly bickered amongst each other. “Now, now. I’ll tell you what my field of study is if you tell me what it is you want with my assistance.” His once energetic tone shifted to that of seriousness. “Very well. But promise not to tell a single soul of this interaction. Have I made myself clear?” “That you have.”Colress then began to cross his arms as Dulse began to describe their situation and what they required.They told him that they hailed from a realm with starless skies and of a great city that spanned the length of an entire continent.They told him they were members of an organization dedicated to scouring different worlds for extant traces of life and if they were inhabitable.And then they revealed their true purpose. “What we require is a device to…ease the pain and control the frenzied one who was the cause of our world’s light being taken from us. If there is any way you can come up with making such a hypothetical device a reality, you would have our deepest regards. We’ve sought collaboration from other members of your species, but as of now, no progress in our mission has been made aside from their knowledge about these Z-Crystals that seem to be scattered across these lands.” “I see… This mission of yours seems to be quite the ordeal. I could never imagine living in such a world like yours; one without light, that is.” Colress responded with somewhat of a solemn tone in his voice. “Wait, so you’re not weirded out by the fact we’re actually aliens from another dimension? And that everything we told you was a logical explanation for why we’re asking for your help?” Interrupted Zossie. She was then met with a death glare by Dulse who began to chastise her in their native language that would be incomprehensible to the human ear. “Zossie! That was the one thing you were not supposed to tell this human! Now he might go on and expose us for what we really are, and our mission will be all for naught!” “Do not worry. Your secret’s safe with me. Besides, I told you before that I wouldn’t break my promise, so why would I foolishly tell the world that you’re here. It’s not like they’ll truly believe me.” Dulse staggered back slightly upon hearing Colress’ words. How in the worlds did he imply what they were talking about? And better yet, how did he understand what they were saying in an alien tongue?“How did you know what we were saying?” He interrogated. The human then sighed and shrugged his arms. “I suppose keeping up this ruse was futile in the end. I should have known the Reconnaissance Squadron would have found me eventually.” “Sikai vak eru?!” Dulse yelled, now slamming Colress against the walls of his own lab. As he leaned against the partition, it almost appeared that Colress’ skin was shifting and moving on its own.The ivory hue he once donned changed to that of a light blue, the same color of the two Ultari who stood in front of him. His eyes slowly began to change colors as well, morphing from a yellow pupil and black iris to a silvery-grey and yellow pupil, his sclera still remaining white.Though the same person remained, there was something about him that fundamentally changed. His disguise wore off and the first ones to find out were those of his own species. Dulse and Zossie looked at him in pure shock. “You…you are…””Yes, I am indeed Ultari. I’m surprised it took you this long to figure out. Colress was nothing more than a pseudonym I’ve taking a liking to after assimilating with Terrans for such a long time. Allow me to formerly introduce myself, O esteemed members of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron. My name is Achroma.” “Wait a minute, I recognize that name. You’re the one who proposed going to Terra to begin with!” Stated Zossie. “And you were the one who conducted those unethical genetic experiments on live subjects. You're nothing more than yet another disillusioned genius blinded by your own ambition.” Dulse’s brows furrowed. “Tch. You weren’t supposed to know about that.” “It’s specifically stated in your official transcript in the archive. Now, tell us why you are here on Terra to begin with or else we’ll report you back to the High Convocation where the next trial you’ll face is for the betrayal of your own kin!””Now, now. There’s no need to be so hostile. You were the ones asking for my help to begin with, were you not?””We did, but now we are beginning to have second thoughts. I would rather die in the line of duty than cooperate with someone who spliced innocent Ultari with the genomes of Ultra Beasts solely for your own personal gain. You are abhorrent.” Dulse snarled. “But Dulse, he knows how to utilize our technology! If we turn back now, then there maybe won’t be a chance to find someone to help us again.” Zossie was right. They couldn’t go back to the Aether Foundation now that they knew they were never on their side to begin with.But the things this man did in the past were nothing short of vile. His most infamous experiment involved injecting the genes of someone’s personally bonded Naganadel and then the subject morphed into an incomprehensible entity of scale, wing, and claw that shortly perished afterwards. The sole reason he did this was to “bring out the full potential of Ultra Beasts’ powers”, but the jurors of the High Convocation didn’t buy it.What he did was horrific, and because of his actions, he was stripped of his titles and position as a member of the URS and inevitably fled to Terra to avoid the prying eyes of those who recognized him as an exiled criminal. And then there was what he did on Terra under the name Colress, which in of itself is a very long and complicated story of its own. The last thing Dulse wanted to be associated with were those of his ilk. But, they were desperate. Every second they wasted was another second ticking by of Megalo Tower’s power fading away and the possibility of Necrozma’s escape. There was no other choice, he realized.Dulse sighed. In other circumstances, he would have immediately regretted the decision he was about to make. “Just this once, I am willing to cooperate with the likes of you. But, let it be known that there are certain conditions you have to uphold in your end of this collaboration. If you in any capacity betray our trust, I will tell the Reconnaissance Squadron and High Convocation that you have been hiding here on Terra all this time. Do I make myself clear, Achroma?” Asserted Dulse.“You do indeed, Vice-Captain Ascoseira-ank’Colax. I will do anything in my power to aid in the restoration of radiance once lost in the Great City.” The exiled Ultari replied.”We are counting on you. Do not fail us in this endeavor.”That was the last thing the Vice-Capitan said before leaving the makeshift lab, shutting the metal door behind him.Now, Achroma had a new mission in mind in addition to drawing out the potential strength and power of Pokèmon utilizing the bond phenomena: redemption.
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Oxycholios G799 (Ultra Ruin)
Of all the known worlds across Ultra Space, only two were strictly prohibited to travel to, unless given specific assignments by the higher-ups of the Reconnaissance Squadron. One of those being a place filled with deadly parasites with a nasty habit of turning any stray wanderer into their domain into their hosts, and the other being a peculiarity among other worlds. In addition to being home to the population of an incredibly dangerous Ultra Beast, it shared eerie similarities to another of the known worlds; that being Terra. But this was not the Terra that you think you’d know. When people think of Terra, they picture a realm of pristine natural beauty in tandem with the continuous innovations of their inhabitants. All that remains in this world is desolate and barren remnants of the human population that once called it their home. What caused this world to end up in this state is still unclear, but one thing is for certain: it was the aftermath of a mass extinction event. Like the others before it, almost all known life was obliterated due to a natural (or unnatural) singularity. If only 1% of life survived the last major cataclysm, then the chances of life preserving in the wake of its destruction were even more slim. Even odder still was that this wasn’t the only alternate version of Terra, or any other realm for that matter, to exist. Amidst countless stars, countless worlds and realities existed. That was the only certainty of the realms of Ultra Space and beyond. And the ones where life seemingly came to a halt by one’s own hands or other circumstances were known as dead end timelines. Ultra Ruin was the most prominent of the reflections of Terra that have long since perished, but a seemingly infinite amount of these dead ends existed. There was a version of Terra where the very land and everything else around it was completely lifeless, a hollow shell of something much greater. Across the empty earth, the only remnants of life were the people and creatures who once roamed this world turned into statues encased in darkened stone.There was a version of Terra covered in ice, a seemingly eternal winter brought upon the land by someone who’s grandiose ambitions of global domination backfired and wrought the fury of an entity that was used as a living weapon.There was a version of Terra where mankind attained immortality and were on par with even the gods they once worshipped, but those who dwelled there seemingly had no purpose in living and lacked spirit entirely. It was because of their nihilism that their destruction was wrought in hopes of attaining something greater than infinity. There was a version of Terra that was scorched and bleak, reminiscent of when the planet was first formed. No oceans or sources of water remained due to the extreme heat and climate, and thus all life was destroyed in the process. Once again, this was wrought upon by an individual’s hubris, hoping to forge a world for humanity, but ended up creating one of ashes and dust. And then there was Ultra Ruin. A place as barren as the rest of these countless other dead end timelines, but life somehow remained here. There were those who miraculously survived the final mass extinction despite everything else around them in a state of perpetual collapse. The debris and rubble left behind here were reminiscent of the place where the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron was assigned to find the shards of the Blinding One and to aid its restless furor: the land known as Alola. A place that was noted for its brilliant light and prosperity, now lifeless. The sun did still shine here, but the atmosphere here was cloaked in a thick and heavy smog of dust and other particles that no single organism could possibly inhale due to its toxic contents. It was a realm that could only be described as one enshrouded in despair. Yet Soliera and Phyco were in this desolate world because they received a mysterious signal coming from this realm: a distress call from the last remaining human that called these ruins their home. And they were desperate. No other members of the Reconnaissance Squadron were willing to venture to this empty world, so it was seemingly up to the captain himself along with his accomplice.It was very different than the Alola that they had previously ventured to, probably because this timeline splintered from the rest of proper history in the far future where mankind had finally attained technological prowess akin to the Ultari and the ability to travel across the universe utilizing interstellar craft. Those who fled this slowly dying world before and established colonies on others long before the cataclysm were lucky, while those who stayed behind were forced to survive the most hostile of conditions. The air here was filled with a familiar stillness, yet everything here still seemed alien and unfamiliar. Instead of the freezing cold of their homeworld, it was sweltering among the barren empty. The sound of their breathing through heavily protective respiratory equipment appeared to be the only things making sounds here other than the steps they took venturing unto the ruins of a long-forgotten city. "Soliera, be on your guard. I will survey the area to see if the source of the signal is nearby." The wizened captain ordered. "Yes, sir."The eldest of the duo had been on countless field missions, yet even for him it was the first time voluntarily stepping foot onto Ultra Ruins. There was seemingly nothing of note here, and the Ultra Beasts that called this realm their home were exceptionally dangerous and unpredictable. Much like other aspects of this realm, it was still unclear how these creatures made their way to Terra to begin with. The sound of crunching metal and shifting glass clamored with every step the lone members of the Recon Squad took whilst traversing the barrens. Their surroundings were those of demolished buildings, some being vaguely familiar sights from when they first ventured unto the Alolan shores. Remnants of the facility known as a Pokèmon Center were visible, due to its notable shape and long since faded red paint that was a telltale sign of those buildings.From where the shoreline used to be was a flickering neon sign, the only source of light in this dreary expanse. Other vestiges that were all but lost to time included worn out flyers and posters, including an ominous handwritten sign that said “the end is nigh” in Terran. Little did the one who wrote know that their grave omen would come to pass. Phyco rarely got disturbed whilst traveling across the realms of Ultra Space, but this place was different. It was as if he and Soliera were walking through a reminder of mankind’s folly and hubris; mass destruction of their own making with not even a shred nature itself reclaiming the desolation.The only time he felt this amount of sheer dread was when the Blinding One escaped from its prison in the Tower of Light and wreaked havoc upon the denizens of Ultra Megalopolis, and in the back of his mind he pictured that the Great City he called his own could have potentially ended up like this world if circumstances were different.The thought of his own world succumbing to a dead end like so many other worlds was nauseating, causing despair to fester like rot in his mind. But with the existence of endless worlds and infinite timelines branching off from one another, the possibility was more likely than he’d ever want it to be.But he had to keep moving forward. There was still someone out here, a lone survivor amidst the debris and rubble. If they were to find the source of the signal, then maybe, just maybe, they would return them unto others who fled to the stars beyond and left them behind. He checked his multifunction wrist device in order to see if there was any other biological signatures out in the barren wastelands that were stretched out in front of him, besides that of his accomplice. Much like everything he bore witness to beforehand, there was nothing. Maybe this mission was all for naught. That was until he heard the faint rumbling of rubble shifting amongst the earth, the sound barely being noticeable prior to seeing that the ground in front of him had moved somewhat. He then halted in his tracks, Solieria then quickly following suit.”What was that?” She asked. “I don’t know…” The quiet noise continued to gain volume until the one responsible for it came into view. It was no Ultra Beast, but rather a person clad in a black and yellow protective suit akin to those worn by the Reconnaissance Squadron. But no such uniform in that fashion existed among the ranks of the organization, so it couldn’t have been one of their own. Their face was hidden behind a thick and protective layer of glass covering a respirator, their breaths echoing heavily with each exhale they took. They somewhat staggered backwards upon the very sight of the two Ultari and almost fumbled atop a pile of broken concrete and metal. “There’s no way…The universe is playing some sick joke on me, right? Unless there really are other survivors out there… I’m finally not alone anymore.” They began talking to themselves. “I apologize to be the bearer of bad news, but alas we are not the remaining members of humanity that you appear to be searching for. However, we did receive a distress signal coming from these coordinates. Is it possible you were the one who sent it?” Phyco inquired.The person in the black suit then fell silent. Though their face remained invisible, a feeling of despair seemed to ruminate upon hearing that they weren’t of their own. A distorted sigh could then be heard from behind the mask. “I should’ve known I’m still the only one out here…wait a minute. You two aren’t from one of the interstellar colonies, are you? I thought you stuck-up pricks wished to leave this world behind along with everything else that was destroyed.” “I beg your pardon?” Asked Soliera. “Don’t play dumb with me.” They quipped in retaliation. “We are not ‘playing dumb’, as you have put it. We are members of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron. Now, I implore you to answer the question we had previously asked yo-.””Nice going captain, you just exposed us to the last remaining member of humanity on this world.” The younger accomplice groaned. “Hold on, I think I’ve heard of you guys before. You’re some of those pale blue aliens that we made contact with on K2-72e, right?”Since this was an alternate timeline in addition to one that had met its demise, certain events might have played out differently here than in their own reality. Considering that this was the ruins of a technologically advanced Terra in the far future, it wasn’t that much of a stretch to consider that humanity had forged relations with those of the Recon Squad’s species.Even still, Phyco had no clue what they were talking about but they had no choice but to play along. “Erm…yes. We are indeed.” He hesitated. “Oh yeah, you asked me if I sent out a distress signal, didn’t you? I honestly didn’t expect anyone to actually answer it, however. It’s been forever since I actually asked for aid.””And how long ago was that?””About 5 years,” The human said nonchalantly. The Ultari, however, were stunned upon this revelation. How was a person surviving in a wasteland such as this for so long, and how come they were apparently the sole survivor of the humans left behind here? “In the time since, the rest of the human survivors were few and far between. Most of them died shortly after I called for help due to complications with disease and other environmental factors…After they were all gone, I seemingly had no hope remaining until I found another stowaway on this dead world.””Wait, I thought you said you were the only remaining human on this planet?” Soliera questioned, once again. “I am.” The human then turned their backs to the two members of the Recon Squad and let out a high-pitched whistle. They had no idea what they were doing, calling out into the barren wasteland like that. But then the earth beneath them began to slowly tremble. Its magnitude slowly increased and increased until the foundations of the destroyed buildings started to shake once more.On Soliera’s wrist communicator device, a droning beeping noise blared, indicating that there was a heat signature out somewhere in the ruins. The sporadic nature of these vibrations weren’t that of seismic activity, it was caused by someone, or rather something. Then they saw the shadow of a massive figure looming closer and closer as it seemingly lumbered towards them, and as it came into view, the two Recon Squad members looked at an unmistakable entity that towered over them both. A Guzzlord. The human then started to walk towards the hulking mass of jet black scales and spikes with no hesitation nor fear. “Get away from that thing!” Soliera called out. But the human didn’t listen. Instead, it reached out one of their hands towards the massive beast and began to brush its body with it. The gargantuan creature bellowed in response, letting out a very loud chuff of contentment. Somehow, the most voracious and ill-tempered of Ultra Beasts was calm around this human, almost as if they’d formed a bond of some sort with one another. “Calm down, you two. He’s not gonna hurt you. This here’s Mr. Glutton. When I first met this big lug, I was as scared as you were, but lucky for me it wasn’t interested in eating me or the rest of the survivors who once lived here.” The person in the black suit explained. Mr. Glutton, as it was so aptly named, grumbled in response. “You are…very fortunate to have it as a companion. But, I cannot help but wonder how or even why you would forge a bond with such a creature?” “That’s easy: we’re both the last living things on this planet. I don’t care what other people are doing now that they’re literal light-years away, all that mattered to me was staying behind with the remaining survivors, including this behemoth behind me. Even now, I’m not going anywhere.” “Are you certain? We came all this way following your distress signal and you’re essentially denying our cooperation?” “I made a promise to myself that I’d stay here no matter what comes to pass. I know it’s selfish, but I don’t want to leave anyone behind. And I mean anyone.” They asserted themselves whilst the towering Ultra Beast gently nudged the person with their pincers. “Very well. It is just that your current predicament is quite peculiar and we were hoping to be of assistance.””Don’t worry about it. At least there's those out there in the universe that actually care about those who were left behind.""I suppose."The two members of the Recon Squad were at a loss as to what to do now. On one hand they truly thought that bringing this person to a habitable world was the right thing to do, but they themselves said that they were more than willing to stay in the remnants of a world long-gone. It was paradoxical: a successful mission yet they felt as if that they had failed. But once more, there was nowhere else to go. They glanced back at the human in the heavily protective suit and the giant creature that they called an ally. "Well then, I suppose we shall be on our way back to our homeworld. I wish you all the best and bid you farewell." Phyco said before calling forth the Solgaleo they utilized in order to travel here to begin with. It then began to become enveloped in a golden light before opening a small Ultra Wormhole in the dust-covered sky, with both Squadron members following suit by hopping atop its back."The same goes to you two as well." They replied as they watched the first two people that they'd seen in so many years fade away into the rift in space-time. Once again, they were alone on this barren earth, but they didn't mind the fact that they were the last human on Terra. But as long as they remained, humanity did as well.
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Ultra Megalopolis, 202◼️
Dulse lay motionless in a chamber of fluorescent liquid, the sound of it slowly bubbling up all around him echoing as he rested. As his eyes slowly peeled back and opened, the brightly colored fluid he was enveloped in seemingly drained back into the device and the hatch containing his body began to open automatically. To any potential onlookers, it looked like he was exiting cryosleep that was only described in science fiction movies, but to those of his species, he was just getting out of bed.He wiped his eyes, trying to readjust to the relative brightness of his quarters and the onlooking view of Megalo Tower that shadowed over the spire-like complex. Whilst doing so, he noticed something had caused it to be somewhat irritated and looked down to see that the very skin of his hands were flaking clean off to reveal an even paler complexion than he normally had.But it wasn’t just his hands that seemed to be shedding away, it was almost his entire body.In addition to the flaking skin, his body temperature was almost akin to that of a human, which was the equivalent of a high fever since Ultari normally had abnormally low body temperatures compared to Terrans, but to them it was normal. His muscles were stiffened and aching, and even after he woke himself up, all the Vice-Commander wanted to do was return to restful homeostasis.What’s more, he was just so damn itchy.Upon this realization, he groaned. “Check current biorhythm and vital signs.”He seemingly spoke to himself until a small holographic screen displaying highly detailed charts and graphs about his current state of health. In all other circumstances, he would have been sent directly to the medical sector due to these abnormalities. But the data stated otherwise. Despite his current ailments, the holo-monitor said he was in perfect health. Perfect health for someone undergoing their cyclical molting of skin. One of the many quirks and differences of the Ultari anatomy is that their skin cells are actually made up of scales instead of the fatty tissue most mammalian Pokèmon and humans have, and because of these scales they have to shed their old skin to make way for smoother skin cells since they’re continuously growing. And there were several side effects on the body whilst undergoing this change, including sickness, mood swings and irritability. And Dulse was experiencing all three symptoms at once.On the hypothetical spectrum from reptile to mammal, these blue denizens of Ultra Space would be smack dab in the middle, but since they have no genetic relation to either, all of the aforementioned information would be thrown out the window. If anyone in the Recon Squad were to find out that Dulse, the iron-willed right hand of the entire organization of all people, was feeling under the weather, his reputation would be squandered. That included those within the Anomaly Prevention Task force. He was taught time and time again not to show any sign of weakness, even when it was facing circumstances that were out if his control. But, stars above, his body was killing him and he felt miserable. It felt like he was a pile of Guzzlord dung: horrible in every sense of the word. He slumped himself face-first over on the monochromatic chair that was situated in his living space, once more groaning in discomfort. He was an adult and was fully capable of taking care of himself, but he barely wanted to do anything in his current state.Though he didn’t want to admit it, he needed assistance. Lucky for him, one of the members of his Task Force was an expert medic, trained in both modern and unconventional methods of medicine. Tiredly, he pressed a few buttons on his communicator and decided to call the one person he thought would help him without making fun of his current situation. “Rhipiliospis…I require your aid.”A quiet knock on the metallic door leading to their ill companion’s living quarters echoed as Rhi waited for it to open. They clutched a handful of medical supplies in their hands, including a Squadron standard emergency kit along with miscellaneous vials full of herbal remedies and other concoctions.They were quite surprised to get an unprompted call from Dulse, but in due time they soon realized his circumstances. Molting fever, as the combined symptoms were known by in the medical sector, was a common side effect when undergoing this natural process. As they waited, they were met with the door automatically whirring open to the visage of a very tired and disgruntled Dulse. By the Blinding One, half of his skin was peeled off and he had yet to put on any clothing besides a pair of black pants on his legs. His dark mauve hair was even more unkept than normal. Begrudgingly, he let Rhi into his living quarters whilst sighing. “You may enter…” He groaned. “So that’s why you decided to call in private instead of addressing the Task Force directly. Never in a thousand cycles would I think to see you in a state like this, vice-captain.” “Please do not make it a bigger deal than it already is.” Dulse stated bluntly. “So, do you want me to help you or not?” Rhi joked.”Now is not the time to be joking about this. I feel like a Poipole struggling to pupate.” “Don’t fret any longer, I have several things that may speed up the process,” They walked into the living space placing their supplies on a nearby table. “I need you to lay down for me, please.” “Doctor’s orders.” He rolled his eyes as he limped back towards the chair he was once situated in.Whilst doing so, Rhi grabbed a container filled with a medicinal salve that was known to treat skin irritation, and since he was basically shedding his molted scales everywhere, they placed a small dollop on their hand and massaged it gently onto Dulse’s body. His initial reaction was to wince due to the coldness of the balm and the active chemical ingredients on his burning skin, staggering back as he was seated. “You must not speak of this to the others. I am afraid that they might…misinterpret the circumstances.” Dulse remarked. “How so?” Rhi quizzically tilted their head whilst grabbing another vial, this time filled with an elixir filled with loose herbs and dried plants from various realms and poured it into a small oblong glass, reaching for Dulse’s warm hands. “Do not act clueless around me, Rhipiliospis. You know there are rumors spreading around the organization of us being…ikal’teyi.”Rhi chuckled softly in response to Dulse’s concerns. “You needn’t worry about such trivial things, vice-captain. Besides, it’s probably only a few individuals thinking this, not the entire Squadron for star’s sake.” “I suppose…” He replied, now taking a sip of the glass’ contents. Immediately afterwards, he sputtered it out and started to cough seemingly in response to the substance. His face was shriveled in discomfort. “What was that, and why was it so damn bitter?!” “It’s a herbal remedy I learned how to make while studying folk medicine in a village on Ultra Hive. They say it’s a cure-all for any ailment, including molting fever.”“Well, it certainly is an acquired taste.” Dulse winced, continuing to spit as a response to the astringent medicine. Rhi once more laughed quietly, but this time in response to their colleague’s reaction. “It seems that my work here is done. All that I ask is that you continue to get some rest whilst the molt continues and continue to utilize the medicines I used when needed.” The Recon Squad medic was headed out of Dulse’s living quarters as they approached the door they entered, it slowly whirring open once more.“Wait…””Hmm, what is it?” Rhi then turned around and looked at Dulse, who was now slowly shifting upwards from his resting position. “I know this may be an odd request of me, but I wish for you to stay. Being alone is something that I have grown far too accustomed to and-.””Just say you want my company, Dulse. You need not be so difficult,” They reassured their ill companion. “And I have the feeling that there is something else you want of me too, I presume.” “How did yo-? Ugh, fine. I will admit your expertise in cooking was in large part of why I wanted you to remain here for the time being. I have grown ever-so tired of those nutritional supplements.” “I would be happy to oblige, vice-captain. I know of another remedy from Ultra Hive that may bring some comfort. But fret not, it’s not bitter medicine this time.” Rhi joked. After their remark, they swear they could see for the first time in several cycles a small smirk befall Dulse’s face. Maybe his brooding and cold nature was a ruse after all.
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USER HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION BY THE ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON AND ITS XENOBIOLOGY SECTOR TO VIEW THE FOLLOWING REPORT
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REPORT IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF BIOLOGICAL ENTITIES UNRELATED TO KNOWN UB SPECIMENS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN ULTRA SPACE WORLDS AND VARIOUS EXOPLANETS THUS FAR, AND IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING UPDATED BY URS RESEARCHERS
Foreword
According to some records recovered from Terran databases, there is evidence of lifeforms being present on other worlds, despite not being entirely conclusive. URS xenobiologists and field researchers within the department have further confirmation that the assumption of these specimens being present on other worlds is indeed true. The variance in their native habitats, behaviors, and anatomy is on par with Ultra Beasts themselves, despite lacking the presence of any advanced aural abilities, or “Ultra Aura” as it has been called by other departments.In addition to these extraterrestrial lifeforms that do not fall into the category of Ultra Beasts, there have been sightings of lifeforms native to Terra straying into Ultra Wormholes and arriving in different realms. Field researchers have noted that these specimens that have entered through wormholes have traces of excess Ultra Aura and other forms of cosmic & interdimensional radiation that has ultimately caused their genetic structure, appearance, and behavior to change drastically compared to their Terran counterparts to better adapt to their environments.One such example of these extreme adaptations is a specimen known on Terra as “Orthworm” being discovered in Ultra Desert that has changed its behavior from being somewhat elusive in its native desert and mountainous habitat to becoming a gargantuan filter-feeder that has been reported to “swim” amongst the dunes consuming microscopic organisms that dwell in the sand, though many other examples of these creatures that have made their way into Ultra Space and various outlying realms have been reported.There have also been reports of entities with abilities and powers akin to and on par with Ultra Beasts in regards to their strength, but lack the presence of Ultra Aura like other “stowaways” typically associated with Terran species, though the rate of encountering these creatures are relatively low.As advised from those of the xenobiology sector, if you encounter any of these abnormally strong entities, remember to first and foremost not engage them in combat, as some of these creatures have been described on Terra as deities themselves due to the extent of their powers. Even if the entity is showing no signs of hostility, do not engage.With the previously stated introductory knowledge of the subject being provided, here are some of the known non-UB Specimens that have been discovered living in Ultra Space that have been relatively unaffected by aforementioned afflictions related to cosmic and interdimensional radiation. The following data is a combination of Terran biological records and those from URS researchers.
Cleffa, Clefairy & Clefable
These lifeforms are relatively docile and harmless compared to other specimens that have been discovered in Ultra Space in addition to being somewhat reclusive. Those of its species that field researchers have come in contact with are known to be abnormally sociable and live in tight-knit communities with others of its species and its metamorphic stages. They are small, pink bipedal creatures that gain wings upon metamorphosis, although they cannot fly that well and only do so under the light of nearby natural satellites. In addition to taking flight, they are also known to take part in some sort of ritualistic dance amongst its kind during phases of the full moon and when meteor showers occur. Many field researchers who have encountered these lifeforms say that they are “quite adorable”, probably in due part to their small stature and sociability.
Staryu & Starmie
Common lifeforms in regions of Ultra Space where water is present, they congregate in large numbers on the bottom of freshwater and saltwater ecosystems and are known to be filter-feeders that consume microscopic organisms that live within their aquatic environment. A notable feature of these lifeforms is their regenerative abilities and their capabilities of utilizing electromagnetic waves as a form of communication, both of these feats being possible only due to its gem-like core that acts as both a brain and a heart. Some signals that have been transmitted by these organisms have been received by various URS registered devices as far away as 5 light years.
Elgyem & Beeheyem
Yet another common entity completely unrelated to Ultra Beasts, it is said that the first people to discover the initial stage of Beeheyem mistook it as a malformed Poipole due to its vaguely similar body shape, but soon came to realize that it was an entirely different species because of the drastically different behavior these lifeforms display. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive creatures that communicate utilizing flashing light patterns using their tricolored digits that glow with bioluminescence, though any and all attempts of communication with these lifeforms besides from limited telepathy are currently indecipherable. Some field researchers have shown symptoms of temporary amnesia and have their memories overwritten when coming in contact with the fully matured form of this species, though the process of regaining an individual’s memory can take several moons and can be extremely detrimental to those working in the URS, so it is advised not to provoke these lifeforms and act in a rational and calm manner when communicating to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
Lunatone & Solrock
Unlike the previously mentioned lifeforms who are present in various Ultra Space worlds and other exoplanets, these specimens are only found in regions where asteroid belts and other acclimations of cosmic rock debris are present, and this also includes planetary rings. No notable behaviors of these lifeforms have been documented, as they are commonly sedentarily locked within the gravitational pull of space itself and feed off of solar and lunar energy respectively. Some field researchers have argued that in addition to the low gravity of space, they float whilst utilizing medium-level psionic abilities.
Deoxys
Perhaps the most elusive and intriguing of all non-Ultra Beast entities discovered so far, the homeworld of these organisms is a dwarf planet with low gravity, but an incredibly magnetic atmosphere, and because of its composition, auroral phenomena is quite common.These creatures are highly intelligent and have been documented to possess psychokinetic abilities on par with that of other Ultra Beasts, if not even stronger. Because of their intellect, these organisms have formed somewhat of a proto-culture on their homeworld, communicating to others of its kind utilizing auroras and other electromagnetic signals in addition to telepathy. These creatures appear to understand the Ultari language, but are not entirely fluent and “speak” a tongue that is currently being deciphered that also uses electromagnetic waves instead of speaking, as they lack a mouth.In regards to its appearance, they are bipedal humanoids with red and blue skin and a purple stripe running down its face, four tendril-like arms, white eyes with black sclera, and a stubby tail on its posterior. It is currently hypothesized that the crystalline organ on the center of its body is the source of its psionics in addition to being its nervous system and brain, despite many other scholars claiming that it is reminiscent of the aura detecting organ present in Ultari physiology.These lifeforms are highly adaptable to their environments and are known to change body plans in order to enhance its abilities. For example, its “defensive” state is comparatively bulkier to others of its kind in their normal forms. In addition to these form changes, Deoxys have incredible regenerative abilities and are able to quickly restore themselves to their normal state after being afflicted with a non-fatal injury that results in the loss of any of its limbs.As for the life cycle of Deoxys, they begin their lives encased in a triangular chrysalis-like structure before emerging as a fully developed individual. The chrysalis itself is composed of an unknown material that URS mineralogists are still trying to discern its properties.Previously mentioned, these lifeforms have a primitive social structure built on stratification and roles depending on what form an individual takes; those being Attack, Speed, Defense, and Normal. Very little is known about other cultural behaviors of the species besides this hierarchical structure and that auroras are integral to their practices.
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579 Miles Off the Coast of Castelia City, Unova Region, Terra, 202◼️
Zossie was used to doing solo missions, but the one thing she wasn’t used to was being seasick. For someone who’d constantly travelled via Ultra Wormhole atop a living being, she had never gotten ill. However, this was Terra, and she didn’t have the luxury of instantaneous travel. She had to take a ferry along with several hundred other humans to a remote school in the open ocean, which she still was having a hard time wrapping her head around. If anyone else were to be in her stead for this reconnaissance mission, their cover would’ve been blown almost immediately, since the rest of her unit appeared to be adults in the eyes of Terrans.The best thing about this mission was that she was finally on Terra again, basking in its warmth once more. But she was headed into unfamiliar territory since her destination wasn’t in the Alolan islands. She remembered her briefing with the Captain of the Squadron and her other colleagues of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force and how surprised she was to hear that she would be going back to school. Undercover. On another world. Zossie was naturally curious, actively seeking to learn new things in her spare time. But she loathed the idea of attending another semester of school. The Exalted Akaedemia of Ultra Megalopolis that she had studied at prior and during her initiation as a URS member was highly competitive and most of the courses were notoriously difficult. It was the most prestigious school in the city, after all. Even those who did not attend the Akaedemia knew its motto: knowledge is the great illuminator. It was because of the collective effort of highly intelligent individuals that the Ultari were able to survive several lifetimes in seemingly eternal darkness.If she had to relearn the basics of quantum entanglement, the mechanics of FTL travel, and other subjects that even a notable prodigy like herself struggled with, she’d immediately jump ship off the ferry when given the word. Good thing humanity had yet to invent such technology and have a further understanding on these concepts, aside from those of the Aether Foundation. Luckily (or rather unluckily, since she was continuously getting nauseous as she sat on the surprisingly large oceanic vessel), Zossie seemed to fit the visible criteria for blending in with others around her. She had forcibly morphed her chromatophores to a reasonable skin tone to humans, that of a light tan. As for the bioluminescent markings scattered across her body, people would hopefully dismiss them as being nothing more than freckles, unless she was forced to be in an area of total darkness during her time at this enigmatic yet prestigious academy.She didn’t don the signature uniform of the squadron either, because if she did, she’d stick out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of her fellow students. But she still wore visors, or rather sunglasses, since she wasn’t used to the blazing radiance of the Terran sun. In addition to changing her physical appearance, she had to change her identity. No longer was she Zos’thayuni Astera ank’Rozoa, genius engineering prodigy of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron, but rather Zooey Amamo, an exchange student from Unova’s Black City, a human settlement eerily similar to Ultra Megalopolis but lacking in their incredibly advanced tech. This identity was forged and devised by Captain Phyco himself in order to keep her within the records of the academy’s enrollment list and to avoid any suspicions of her alien origins. Unless she had to undergo DNA testing of any kind, in which everything would just fall apart. As for why she was even here to begin with, it had to do with the academy itself, not getting an extra education. To think that humanity had a school that was placed in an underwater facility in the middle of the ocean with the most advanced technology for their species was utterly absurd yet peculiar. Even Phyco himself was dumbfounded to see that mankind had pulled something like this off, considering other institutions on Terra.What’s more, there were reports of strange aural energy readings emanating from the same exact spot where the school was located. And so he came up with an idea: to see firsthand how and why mankind was able to create such a technological marvel. But, the Captain couldn’t do it because of his role as a leader and his age. So, Zossie was chosen as the perfect candidate.She continued to stare outside of a small window, being somewhat crowded by other future students who wished to take in the scenery of the open sea. Somehow, the water here was different than that of Alola. Instead of the crystalline blue she once saw, the waves below were a dark azure reminiscent of the night sky. One thing she knew about Terra is that humans knew more about planets within their own solar system than what lies beneath the depths. She could see shoals of piscine creatures following the boat, with some even breaching out of the water and making their presence known to the passerby. She's heard one of the human students call these jumping organism Finizen, and she'd never seen one in her lifetime. The only Terran organisms that she knew of were what she saw in her brief travels to Alola alongside Dulse.Somehow, she missed his company even now. She wondered if this would've been like those bygone days being unfamiliar to this world overflowing with light, unraveling new mysteries and discoveries together. But this was a solo mission, and if he were there with her, then the chances of successful reconnaissance would be squandered. The boat was going a steady pace until it started to slow down when the telltale silhouette of a dome-shaped object came into view, its glass reflecting the suns rays like a beacon amongst the ocean blue. It was almost like one of the bio-domes scattered across Ultra Megalopolis in structure, but undeniably larger. The ferry came to a slow halt, slowly inching towards the semicircle. Oddly enough, there wasn't a dock, so Zossie was perplexed as to why they were stopping so suddenly.Then the sound of a slow whirring noise could be heard from outside and an inclined ramp and stairway unfolded from its base with several of the students awing at the sight. The Ultari wasn't impressed though. Sure, it was convenient and practical for a floating facility such as the academy, but that kind of technology was commonplace. A chiming tone then played, being immediately followed by an automated overhead announcement. "We have now reached our destination. Remember to disembark safely and grab all of your belongings on your way out. Enjoy your studies and experiences here at the Blueberry Academy: where we sow knowledge and reap wisdom." Stars above, even their school's motto was similar to that of the Akaedemia. Every time she convinced herself that this mission was going to be different from her time of higher learning, she was subtly reminded whenever the opportunity came to pass.The only thing different about these schools that were literally worlds apart were their insignias and curriculum, and Zossie couldn't help that the emblem of such an esteemed institution was a fruit of all things. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the past, she had to move forward. Afterall, Zossie was here to see the advancements of this seabound school to begin with. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the metallic walkway that led to the ramp. After all, she didn't want to be late for her first day. As she trudged upwards, she caught up with the rest of the students who were now culminated within a large crowd. They were huddled around an older human man wearing a navy blue jacket with a crimson colored tie, a white brimmed hat sitting atop his head. The overlapping chatter of the students was silenced as soon as he began to clear his throat. "Good afternoon, students, and may I formally welcome you to the Blueberry Academy, the shining jewel of knowledge and progress amidst the ocean waves. My name is Cyrano, and I am the current director of this fine institution. I know you all have just stepped foot onto land after spending several hours at sea, so please take your time to get acclimated to your surroundings. Afterwards, we will have our mandatory orientation where we get to explore almost every part of this marvel of a campus, and you will be assigned your dormitories and partners for this semester." Partners?! Zossie's inner monologue yelled. Since when did Terran schools have a buddy system? Sure, she knew of the concept of group projects well since she'd participated in so many during her Akaedemia days, but being coupled with a stranger for an entire term? That was utterly absurd! Now more than ever did she wish Dulse was here with her during this seemingly long-term mission.But there was no way of backing out now. If she gave up the mission so early on, she would never let go of her own failure. She clutched the Beast Ball containing her Naganadel, hoping that bringing the only companion from the stars wouldn’t prove to be detrimental since they’re extremely rare on Terra. It was only there as a contingency plan: to make it possible that she had a way in and out of this world to begin with. After being lost in thought, Zossie realized that the crowd was moving to the interior of the building and scrambled to follow behind, almost tripping on her own footing. The automatic doors to the academy slowly whirred open and the first thing that she saw within the halls of the school was an open and spacious corridor with an intricately patterned floor beneath them inscribed with the school’s insignia and motto. “I know this may be an odd ask of me, but if you all could please step onto the academy’s emblem.” The director stated. Once again, the mass of hundreds of students, Zossie included, huddled around each other only to find out that the ground beneath them was slowly moving downwards. Some of them looked around in confusion, but she seemed to be the only one among them who knew what was going on. This was a platform elevator. And the rest of the students seemed to forget that the facility itself is submerged underwater with only reinforced barriers separating the sea from the scholars. As they descended, the glass tube around them showcased a plethora of marine life swimming around them, the students looking at their surroundings in awe. “As you may or may not know, our campus is the one-of-a-kind and technologically forward sister school to the Naranja-Uva Academy of the Paldea region, which has existed for over 900 years. Our academy is relatively new, only being completed in the last few decades. Though we pride ourselves on our curriculum, we’re different from our Paldean counterpart since we focus on Pokèmon field studies and battling in addition to typical subjects found in other institutions,” He lectured. And there it was. The one thing Zossie wasn’t experienced in that was a major core of Terran culture: battling. There was a reason she pestered Soliera and Dulse to go in her stead since they actually had some semblance of experience whilst she was nothing more than an unexperienced novice. Lucky for her, she was experienced in field research, but not of Pokèmon however. It couldn’t possibly be that different from her work in the URS since Ultra Beasts were undoubtedly more dangerous than these creatures humans often called companions. "That's where the beating heart of our academy comes in. Now, if you don't mind looking down below, you'll see the most important part of this facility: the Terarium. This is where most of your field research and battle classes will take place." Collective gasps of awestruck students echoed across the massive elevator. It was unlike anything that they'd ever seen in their lives.Zossie included. There was a clear indication throughout this orientation that this was no ordinary campus. What they saw below was a massive stretch of land beneath their feet, each one of the four quadrants being a different biome but simultaneously coexisting. Those being that of a coastal biome, a lush grassland, steep mountainous canyons, and a frigid tundra. The fact that these different ecosystems were confined in the same location was absolutely dumbfounding. Even the biodomes back on Ultra Megalopolis couldn't compare to the sheer level of scale this facility had to offer, and the simulation rooms she quite frequented couldn't hold a metaphorical candle to the accuracy of replication for these environments.It seemed that the only thing the two facilities had in common was the presence of an artificial day and night cycle that corresponded to the actual time outside of the dome. The holograms that showed preexisting footage of different worlds were nothing more than illusions that people could access for escapism; hollow and sterile copies of something that was far more grander. The mechanical whirring of the platform came to a sudden halt when the perfectly circular academy emblem landed in another facility that was inside the Terarium. Other students and their Pokèmon allies seemed to congregate in this area, as demonstrated by the constant chatter of students and other passerby. Once again, the students alongside Zossie were nothing short of awestruck. This place was almost a region of its own given its immense size. "And now we've arrived in the academy hub, as some of the students here like to call it. It contains different facilities that would be found on other schoolgrounds, but all accessible in one location. Here you'll find your dorms, a library and study hall, a recreational center, and of course a dining hall. This concludes our orientation excursion, and if you wish to see the rest of campus for yourselves, please feel free to do so. Tomorrow, your first classes of this semester will begin, so be prepared!"Almost as soon as Director Cyrano announced that classes were to essentially start tomorrow, panic set in on some of the student’s face in addition to echoing groans of disappointment.But why, Zossie asked herself. Didn’t most humans enjoy Pokèmon battles as a means of engagement? Maybe people were in the same boat as her in regards to inexperience, but it was highly unlikely. Much like the Akaedemia, she’d heard rumors about the competitiveness between students and the somewhat extreme lengths people would take to “be on top”.As she wandered around the center, she glimpsed upon a poster that said “Test your mettle and challenge the Academy’s Elite Four!” with a group photo of the titular quartet. Maybe these were the highest-performing students throughout the whole school in regards to Pokèmon battles.
If only Dulse and Soliera were here to help me out since they know the most about battling…
Her thoughts lingered.Battling wasn’t just aimless combat, it involved complex strategy and tactics in order to ensure one’s victory. And with every triumph or defeat, you’d learn from your experiences on the battlefield and adapt even further. Some people in her homeworld would critique this mindset as being barbaric, but at least the humans here treat Pokèmon as equals and friends instead of living tools like they did in the city. Despite her insecurities, Zossie took a deep breath and continued to explore the rest of the central hub for herself before heading to her assigned dormitory. If it weren’t for Phyco creating a false identity for her, she wouldn’t have gotten the request to get a solo room. She placed her student identification card on the scanner in front of her dorm’s door and it slowly began to open automatically. The darkened room illuminated itself almost as soon as she stepped in. It appeared to already be furnished, judging by the cleanly maintained bed, monitored computer setup, and small couch with a hexagonal white footstool.In addition to all that, she had a fully-stocked refrigerator and a closet filled with several iterations of the school’s signature uniform for her choosing. With all this nice stuff basically being included for every student, how much did the tuition here cost? Zossie didn’t even want to think about it since the prices for attending Terran institutions such as these were extremely expensive. Good thing it didn’t use her own pocket money. She slumped herself over on the small seat, looking out her “window”, which was a protective plane of reinforced flexible glass, to see the rest of the vast Terarium outstretched in front of her. Tomorrow, her mission would truly begin. And she was in for one long day.Zossie was used to waking up early due to her time at the Recon Squad and her days at the Akaedemia. The rays of the artificial sun shone throughout the thin blinds of the glass barrier, causing light to scatter throughout her room like a prism. She then quickly got into her academy uniform, which consisted of a tightly fitted navy-blue jumpsuit that reminded her of the one she wore back home, but this time it was lacking in regards to protection since there weren't any pads of armor studded throughout. Looking in the small mirror that sat beside her closet, she began to brush her hair (which wasn't actually hair at all) and put it into her signature side braid. She took a deep breath and looked at her reflection, almost not even recognizing her own face in the process due to the fact that she was masquerading around the academy as a human even though she wasn't. But Zossie was still Zossie regardless.Once again she held onto the Beast Ball that contained her Naganadel, one that stood out from the rest of its species due to its golden and jet-black scales. She hesitated on whether or not to bring the blue sphere containing the vespoid wyvern to begin with. On one hand, she wanted to deepen the bond that they had formed together, but on the other, if she revealed that she just so happened to casually own an Ultra Beast in front of a whole school of humans, then she'd jeopardize herself and the mission. Hopefully, that wouldn't have to come to pass.After all, her first real assignment as a student here was one that involved battling. The rest of the details were purposefully vague due to the fact that the lesson's instructor would further elaborate on what their full task was. Due to the fact that she still basically had no idea where she was going, she decided to trail behind another group of uniformed students that appeared to be heading to a smaller facility that led directly to the heart of the Terarium, where there already seemed to be a reasonable amount of people waiting for the lesson to begin. As the students began to grow somewhat restless, the sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard as the rest of the young learners then turned their attention to a middle-aged female human with short brown hair and rounded glasses clad within an outfit similar to that of the students due to its signature blue and white coloration. She glanced at them and gave a subtle smile. "Good morning class. Today, we're gonna be doing something different compared to other intro lectures. Besides, this period isn't even a lecture at all but rather time for you to learn some valuable field experience. What I want you to do is pretty simple: catch as many wild Pokemon that are roaming freely throughout the Terarium as you can, and engage in battle against one of you fellow students," The once silent crowd of students then erupted in quiet chatter amongst themselves, some being louder than others due to the exciting nature of the assignment. Thank the Blinding One it's not more quantum mechanics. Zossie thought. "But! There is a catch. You see, we're not gonna let you go Sawsbuck-wild in regards to catching Pokèmon around here on your first day. Now, let me ask you all a question. Are any of you familiar with the Safari Zone?" The professor asked. Almost immediately, someone's hand shot up to answer. It was that of an older teenage girl with long black hair and peach-colored highlights. The teacher sighed. "I was hoping for someone else to answer but...go ahead, Carmine." "The Safari Zone is a type of special facility found in the eastern Regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh in which trainers are given 30 specially-crafted Safari Balls and a time limit for how many Pokemon you're able to catch. The special thing about these places is that you don't use Pokemon at all to battle against the ones you face in the wild, but moreo-.""Okay, I think that's enough explaining for now. Thank you for helping out, since there didn't appear to be any new students among us who wanted to answer. That's where the twist comes in. You all are given 30 Poke Balls instead of Safari Balls, since they're trademarked for the zones and such and we don't want to face any legal problems. Anyhow, the Terarium is your Cloyster for you to explore! You have two hours and thirty minutes to complete both assignments starting...now!"It was with the teacher's sudden announcement that students made running starts in order to find the best spots to catch Pokemon scattered across the open-air facility, and Zossie was falling somewhat behind. She was honestly overwhelmed at the fact that such rigorous fieldwork was an introductory assignment, but at the same time she was unfazed.She'd been on countless missions to different worlds across Ultra Space that involved capturing or neutralizing a stray Ultra Beast that was causing any anomalies or other problems. But she'd never caught a Pokemon on her own, though. The case for her Naganadel was different. Her winged partner voluntarily let itself be put into the capsule due to a preestablished psionic link and that if it were out in the open, she'd automatically be identified as an outlier. The first quadrant of the Terarium that piqued her interest was the lush and rolling plains of the savannah biome. If most of the creatures were essentially out in the open, they'd be easy targets for capture, right? Zossie's logic was sound, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. She struggled trying to capture a single Blitzle who kicked six of her Poke Balls apart and then immediately bolted to be amongst the rest of its herd, which was an obvious failure.Then she tried the strategy of sneaking up behind a Pokemon from within the overgrown grass in order to catch it off guard and then follow it up with a swift throw in hopes of catching it. Once again, that plan seemed to backfire as she tried to catch a grazing Girafarig and failing miserably, losing three more of the spheres in the process. This was a lot harder than she initially thought it'd be, and it'd only been 20 minutes since the assignment begun.Other students around her seemed to have relative success as they were halfway there to fully complete teams of six. At this rate, it was seemingly impossible to catch even a single specimen since they all just ran away from her whenever she approached them. Maybe they instinctively knew that she wasn't human and chose to stay as far away from her as possible. But that didn’t stop a peculiar Pokèmon among the others making its presence known to her. The grass around her began to shift when all of a sudden she came face to face with a large, scaled creature that was seemingly unafraid of her. The Pokèmon resembled that of a large reptilian with a peculiar dewlap that could expand into what she swore she thought was a wheel. It seemingly came out of nowhere and almost knocked her down on the ground due to its speed. Returning from its sprinting position, it began to stand on is hind legs with its tail flapping behind it. It let out a low but quiet grumble as it gazed inquisitively at Zossie, trying to discern if she was friend or foe.Now was her perfect chance to catch something. Almost immediately, she hastily threw one of her remaining Pokè Balls at the large reptile but inadvertently bonked it on its head instead of capturing properly.
Great, Zossie. Now you have yourself an angry lizard.
But instead of lashing out at her, it remained oddly calm. Thank goodness this species wasn’t quick-tempered or else she wouldn’t still be standing here. It slowly approached her some more before lying down in an open patch amongst the grass where the false sunlight was directly shining down on it. This thing didn’t want to murder her in cold blood, it just wanted to take a nap!”Hey there, buddy. You like sunbathing, too?” She crouched down to get to the creature’s rested position. The lizard once again let out a chuff of contentment, inflating its odd-looking dewlap in response. It gazed at the other Pokè Ball she grasped in her hand and tilted its head at it and then taking a brief sniff of the metallic sphere. “Oh this? It’s not food. Although, if I had some nutritional supplements, I would give ‘em to you, but I don’t think you’d like the taste.” Suddenly, the creature decidedly poked its nostril onto the button that was designated for capture almost deliberately. In an instant, it disappeared whilst becoming enveloped in a bright flash of light energy. The capsule plopped down in the sun-baked dirt where the lizard once rested. And it shook once. Twice. Three times.
Pop.
By the Blinding One, she’d actually done it. Zossie actually caught a Pokèmon. And she did it all on her own. She wished the rest of her squadmates were here to see her in the moment because she was absolutely elated. Thankfully, there appeared to be nobody else around her or else it’d be somewhat embarrassing. A notification appeared on her portable device, giving a detailed profile of the creature she just acquired.
Cyclizar, the Mount Pokèmon. A Normal and Dragon type. Apparently Cyclizar has been allowing people to ride on its back since ancient times. Depictions of this have been found in 10,000-year-old murals. It can sprint at over 70 MPH while carrying a human. The rider's body heat warms Cyclizar's back and lifts the Pokémon's spirit.
A mount with draconic qualities, huh? Maybe this was the Terran equivalent of a Naganadel, although Cyclizar lacked wings and the Ultra Beast didn’t have legs. And since she didn’t want to call the one she just captured the same name for an entire species, she wanted to give it a name.”I think I’ll call you… Arco. Yeah, that sounds like a good name.” Zossie stated to herself. Almost immediately she called forth her newfound companion. “Let’s go, Arco! Heh… that rhymes.” She cheered as the large lizard emerged from its capsule and let out a bellow, announcing itself to the outstretched savannah. It then turned around and approached Zossie, subtly nudging her arm and getting into a position on all fours. Understandibly, the Ultari had no idea what it was doing since Arco was the first one of its kind she’d ever encountered. “Wait a minute, do you want me to get on your back?” Zossie asked the eager dragon-type. In response, its tail was wagging steadily and nodded. The back of its body even looked like that of a saddle, so thats where she decided to sit down. She could feel the Pokèmon’s breath and heartbeat reverberating across her body as it gazed back up at her. And then it began to run.Trying to hold on for dear life as Arco dashed across the plains, she was suddenly flung off from the back of the Cyclizar due to its swiftness and the fact that there wasn’t anything to latch onto besides the creature’s head. Zossie landed uncomfortably on her knees, causing a small scrape to form and tiny blue drops of blood scattered across her injury. “Ouch…” She muttered. Arco trotted towards her to see if she was okay, looking at the injury in dismay. It let out a bellow, but this time it seemed distressed because it didn’t mean to hurt her. “Maybe we should stick to walking for now, okay buddy?” Arco huffed. Zossie slowly picked herself off the ground and wiped off the grass and dirt that was brushed across her body. She then checked her portable communicator to see how much time was left in the lesson and it stated that there was an hour and 45 minutes remaining, counting down by the second. And she’d only caught one Pokèmon and had yet to battle another student. Zossie had to hurry. With Arco following suit, she decided to try to visit the last remaining quadrants before the assignment ended. The next area she headed to was that of the maze mountainous canyons, the rock formations jetting outwards like blades. It was remarkable that such geographic formations that took millions of years to be shaped to be replicated and placed within an artificial environment such as this. Initially, she struggled in trying to capture a Beldum but gave up due to its notoriously high catch rate. What she did find was a weird looking rock that appeared to move at the sight of her getting too close to it, and as most people know, rocks don’t float. It turned out to be a Minior, and luckily for Zossie, it didn’t put up that much of a fight. Upon capturing the sentient floating stone, she decided to name it Kuiper after the meteoroid belt present in Terra’s solar system. Looking down at the communicator device once more, she saw that she only had an hour left. If the assignment was to have a full team by now, then she’d be on the track for failure. But as she saw from the other students participating, it seemed that you only needed two to engage in battles here. This was the part that she was dreading. “Hey you! Girl with the Cyclizar!” She suddenly heard someone shout from behind her. Turning around, she saw someone with shortly braided hair in a side braid almost similar to hers. The stranger gave a wry smile whilst Zossie froze. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. “Ummm.. yep. That’s me. Girl with the Cyclizar. Mhm.” She nervously muttered. Why do I have the feeling this human is going to metaphorically “kick my ass”?”You good there? I just wanted to ask if I could battle you for the class and all.” The human asked with concern in their voice. “Oh! Right. I challenge you to combat! Thats… what you guys say here if you want to start a battle, right?” Nailed it.”I guess. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. The name’s Juliana and I’m a newbie here too.” They responded.”I’m Zooey.” Thank the Blinding One she remembered not to slip up.”Very well, Zooey. I accept your challenge! Here we go!” Zossie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her hearts were beating the fastest they’ve ever been in a while and she felt the warm rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Was this excitement? Nerves? A combination of both? She couldn’t know for sure. But what she did know was that she was in for one hell of a first fight.Back in Ultra Megalopolis, the rest of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force were watching Zossie’s progress for this current solo mission. Her interdimensional communication link was stable, but she appeared to be occupied as they were unable to establish a connection in order to catch up to her in regards to her status. The only thing that mattered was that she was safe and alive. “So, how fares our new student?” The captain joked. In hopes of getting a response from the others, they were met with silence and continuous observation of footage that had been captured by Zossie on holographic monitors. “She appears to be in the middle of field work. How peculiar that a Terran school uses similar methodology in order for recruits to learn more about their environment and the creatures dwelling there.” Soliera responded. “To follow up, there seems to be an emphasis on honing one’s combat arts with Pokèmon. I pray that she does well since she’s…inexperienced.” From another corner of the room, Dulse looked over a supplementary feed that was found on the academy’s database showcasing an intense battle between students. “You worry too much about her, Vice-Captain. I believe that this experience would be beneficial for her to adopt new skills that may prove to be of use in the long run. Besides, this is not her first solitary mission and she’s proven herself capable.” “Is it not a leader’s responsibility to be concerned over the status of their own kinsmen, Rhipiliospis?” He glared back at the other Ultari who was viewing environmental footage of the Terran school’s conservational facility. Rhi sighed and nodded. “Yes, you are correct. But what I am trying to say is that your worries are not about the mission itself, but rather Zos’thayuni. I cannot help but notice that you act like she is of your blood.” “Zossie did say herself that we of the Recon Squad were like a second family to her. Dulse’s concerns are completely justified in addition to focusing on the status of her mission.” “You two are interpreting things differently, even though there is some shred of truth in your statements. All that I want is for her to be safe and for the mission to go smoothly. Is it not illogical to focus on those two factors at on-.” As Dulse was in the middle of responding to Soliera, droning sirens began to blare within the communications room and the once fluorescent blue lights shifted to that of a blood red. On the largest monitor, there was a map indicating an abnormal spike in aural energy.What’s more, it was that of an Ultra Wormhole. And something that shouldn’t be there. “Captain, what’s going on?!”Phyco didn’t respond. All he did was look at the newly projected data. “Enhance.” He stated firmly. Upon his command, the holographic screen zoomed in closer on the map where the signal was coming from. According to the data, it was being emitted from the Terran landmass known as Paldea. The same place where those crystals with high aural energy readings were discovered. The eldest’s eyes narrowed upon this realization. If an Ultra Beast were to be in contact with such high levels of energy, there was no telling of the destruction they could bring. The footage continued to zoom further and further until the sirens reached a crescendo. There was no mistaking what they saw on the screen. A being clad in ebon crystals floating amongst an alien world. And it hungered. Hungered for light that was seemingly boundless in this newfound realm. The room fell silent with an air of dread and despair. “It…can’t be.” Phyco muttered, his voice slightly trembling. There was no way that it could be here if the Blinding One was currently in the Tower of Light with the rest of its powers returned. So then, how and why did the Devourer of Light return? The answer was so simple yet so incomprehensible that the Reconnaissance Squadron Capitan failed to consider. This wasn’t their world’s Necrozma.If infinite worlds with infinite histories existed, then there was one where Ultra Megalopolis fell to ruin in its wake. And this Necrozma appeared to be from that world; a dead end to the Ultari’s own history that spanned countless lifetimes. All that Phyco had to say in this moment of horrific revelation was this:”Notify Zos’thayuni of the current situation and that her mission criteria has been changed immediately. Deploy all capable units of the Anomaly Prevention Task Force to the following coordinates.””But, sir. We-.””That is an order. We cannot allow another tragedy to befall this realm, even if it defies our people’s credo of refraining from interference,” He reprimanded. “Our mission is to stop this Necrozma’s fury. And by the Blinding One, we will stop at nothing to do so.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Poni Grove, Alola Region, Terra; 2018
The two members of the Terran Expedition thought that their mission was over. That wasn’t until they were notified by the Reconnaissance Squadron Capitan that there was signs of a nascent anomaly that appeared on the very world they just left. Other members of the Squadron were hard at work trying to rebuild from the wreckage of the Blinding One’s fury and subsequent defeat, and it made sense to call forth the duo who spent the most time out of anyone in the organization for this task. In the eyes of the youngest member, she was just happy to be back under the brilliant Alolan sun. But to Dulse, this was just another mission and he had to fulfill it.Though the both of them had done several anomaly extraction operations on different worlds across Ultra Space, the circumstances of this mission was somewhat dire. The myriad of dimensions and planets they’d gone to quell any stray Ultra Beast were used to the presence of the strange creatures. But not Terra. If any more Ultra Beast specimens were to get on the loose and wreak havoc on the Alolan ecosystem, then there would seemingly be no way to recover from such devastation and it could eventually do the same to other regions. Failure was not an option. Their destination was a secluded area of Poni Island, the most naturally remarkable of the four islands due to many lush and pristine areas filled with life. A perfect place for an UB to appear and cause trouble. They were led to a winding path of lush palms and tall grass, and began to wait for their quarry to appear. That and they invited the two humans that they thought were capable of handling such a daunting task, even though Dulse protested against it. Though, one of the humans did save their entire civilization from the brink of collapse, so Dulse and the rest of the Recon Squad was indebted towards the one who stopped Necrozma’s rampage. The vice-captain could only hope that this collaboration wouldn’t prove to be detrimental. As they waited, the members of the Recon Squad hid themselves under the cover of the tall grass in order to survey the area for any signs of the Ultra Beasts that were reported here, away from the prying eyes of other humans. Though Dulse preferred if he wasn’t hunched down on the ground like a wild Pokèmon hunting its prey, he didn’t have much of a choice. His breathing was slow and steady in order not to draw too much attention to himself and Zossie, slowly looking around for the anomalies. “Any luck yet?” The younger accomplice asked quietly. “None so far. The aura signals in the surrounding area have been relatively stable. It appears that we need to wait.” “You literally said the same thing a few minutes ago. Are you sure that this assignment isn’t some false alarm?””Don’t question Phyco’s authority. If he so claims that something is out there, then we must do whatever it takes to quell the present anomaly.” Though his eyes were covered by the high-tech visor he wore, Dulse was glaring daggers right at Zossie due to her audacity to say such a thing. In response to her imminent berating, Zossie sighed and recomposed herself. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But how long is it gonna take for the humans that are supposed to help us to get here?” “Be patient, Zossie. You more than anyone should know how time-consuming these UB containment assignments are,” Just as Dulse was accosting his colleague, a faint pinging noise could be heard coming from his wrist communicator and an infrared heat signature of something appeared in his visors. Though he couldn’t see anything, he felt the presence of something all too familiar. Aura. But something about it was odd. It didn’t match up to the amount that Ultra Beasts usually emanated. In fact, it was almost comparable to the amount an Ultari could give off. Again, things weren’t connecting. Of course he’d be able to discern the energy signal of his own kin, so then why didn’t he recognize this? He slowly shuffled underneath the tall grass trying to approach the sign of the aura signature. “Dulse! What are you doing?! I thought we were gonna stake this out!” Zossie yelled in a whisper in sheer bafflement. But he continued to walk forward, almost as if he was being called to it. He tried not to break his concentration while trying to find a lead on the aura signal. The pinging on his wrist communicator intensified as he crawled closer and closer towards a clearing in the tall grass and he came face-to-face to the entity responsible for such surprisingly high aura levels. It was a small bipedal mammal, vaguely canine in stature, that appeared to be striking at a large stone that protruded from the ground. With every hit that it swung, it appeared that small chunks of the rock were flying off. This creature wasn’t the Ultra Beast they were looking for. Sure, both he and Zossie had encountered other Terran species and even caught a specimen of their own, but Dulse was fascinated by it nonetheless. It almost reminded him of his younger self. Training endlessly in order for preparations to become a member of the Reconnaissance Squadron with seemingly no end in sight, pushing his very mind and body to the limit in order to prove to himself that he was worthy of even joining the organization to begin with. And to think, that he would sympathize with something that prior to his journey across Alola he’d call a lowly creature. The creature initially didn’t spot him, until it closed its eyes and its ears were slowly raised to its side. Opening them up again, it seemingly glared right at Dulse and positioned itself in a defensive stance whilst growling at him.
Rio! Riolu!
“I mean you no harm.” Dulse slowly approached the small Pokèmon whilst it staggered back away from him, keeping its guard up. The Recon Squad member, however, began to conduct a quick scan on the creature in order to identify it from the database of fauna that was given to them by the Aether Foundation so long ago. His visors then began to flash, indicating that there was a match between something in the archives and the creature standing in front of him. This Pokèmon was known as Riolu. And it was in fact the source of the aura signal that he detected earlier. He stood motionless before the wild Riolu before bending downwards to its level. The Pokèmon once again softly growled, but it tilted its head in curiosity and began to approach him. Stars above, what am I doing?! I’m supposed to be focusing on this mission. But it matters not, there are still no signs of hostile entities. Dulse’s thoughts raced in his mind. Now more than ever wasn’t the time to be distracted by some stray Terran specimen. Once again, something about this creature reminded Dulse of him. He too was overly cautious and wary, but always had an innate yet overwhelming sense of curiosity that he oftentimes kept to himself. And today, his curiosity got the best of him. In other circumstances, he would never do such a thing like this, especially during a containment mission. He closed his eyes and stretched out his hand towards the little Riolu, breathing steadily and focusing. The creature was initially confused as to what Dulse was doing, but then its ears pricked up like they did when he first encountered it and in turn, did the same. He was going to communicate with something other than his own kin, and on Terra no less, using aura. In that moment, no words were spoken. Not even a thought passed within Dulse’s mind. The flow of emotions between them was all that they needed to stay on the same wavelength. Brave. Inquisitive. Strong. Strange. Similar. He felt what the Riolu felt, and the same went for the creature. As fate would have it, they were in sync in both mind and emotion. It was almost uncanny that this little thing was like a reflection of himself. Dulse’s eyes jolted open and his breathing returned to normal, the small Pokèmon staring right at him. Lu? Rio? It barked. Once again, it tilted its head and slowly approached Dulse. But this time, it wasn’t in a fighting stance nor snarling at him. It actually seemed rather content around him. Like it trusted him. It all then came together as to what the creature was doing: it wanted him to capture it and become his companion. However, this was going to be an issue since the only capturing devices that he brought with him during this mission were specifically designed to catch Ultra Beasts, not common Terran specimens.But it was worth a try regardless. He readied the metallic blue sphere and tossed it towards the Riolu before it became enveloped in a faint light and disappearing. The device fell to the ground and shook a few times before a soft clicking noise could be heard. He’d done it, he’d successfully procured his second ever Terran specimen. Now that he was no longer sidetracked, Dulse returned to his previous position in the tall grass where Zossie was still situated. “What took you so long?” She asked. “I…thought I found the source of the unusual aura readings.” He hesitated, not wanting to reveal to his compatriot that he ultimately got distracted due to a wild Riolu. “Well, I guess it wasn’t because I didn’t pick up any signs of Ultra Beast acti-.” Zossie was then interrupted by an all too familiar sound emanating from her wristguard communicator. That of a warning of nearby anomalies. The humans that were once walking around the picturesque grove began to flee in panic before three tall and multicolored humanoids burst forth from the tall grass, towering over both of the Recon Squad members. For Ultra Beasts, these strange creatures were surprisingly punctual. Shortly after, a familiar face began to rush towards them with determination in her eyes with an unfamiliar one trailing behind. Dulse and Zossie emerged from the undergrowth in order to give their newfound arrivals a well-deserved briefing of the seemingly urgent situation. “There you are…”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Aether Paradise, Alola Region, Terra; 201◼️
For the past few weeks, Lillie’s mother has acted stranger than usual. She would usually see her wandering around the conservation areas, checking up on any of the Pokèmon that lived there and if they needed any extra attention that other foundation employees wouldn’t be able to provide. But the rehabilitation bay was eerily empty. It almost seemed that the only people on the upper floors of the facility were herself and her caretaker, Ms. Wicke. This wasn’t the only strange occurrence on the artificial island facility, however. About a year prior, her own brother seemingly ran away from home in a fit of rebellion, leaving his mother and sister behind. Mother was furious. But Lillie, she was heartbroken, wanting the only other member of her family that actually seemed to care about her to come back, yet she knew deep down he wouldn’t. And then several days later, another weird event happened. The emergency alert system went off without warning across the entirety of Aether Paradise. She kept on asking Ms. Wicke as to what was going on, especially after that time the alarms went off, but she often ignored her constant questioning. Every time she would do so, she’d reply with “Oh, it was nothing to worry about, Lillie. It was merely a drill, a false alarm to see if our security systems work. There’s no need to be so worked up about it.” accompanied with a gentle smile and reassurance that not even her own mother could provide. If it was actually a drill, why were so many Aether Foundation employees enveloped in hysteria and panic? Wouldn’t they be notified of the test alerts in advance? Lillie was young, but by Arceus, that didn’t mean she was clueless.Something was up and she wanted to find out what it was. But Lillie had to be conspicuous and wary about everything since there were eyes watching almost every corner of Aether Paradise, whether it be in the form of foundation employees or security cameras. And there were hundreds of them scattered across the facility. It was a seemingly impossible task, but the old adage of “strict parents result in secretive children” seemed to hold true for Lillie. One night, she decided to sneak out of her room under the cover of darkness when nobody, including the people who were on night shift, was seemingly awake. Under the cover of starlight, the once bustling conservation area was now silent with only the sound of the surrounding ocean waves crashing onto the artificial island, breaking the dead air. Her footsteps were quiet and hesitant, like a Rattata skittering around hoping not to be caught in a trap. She too was on her guard, because if she were to be spotted up so late, she would immediately be scolded by the branch chief, or even worse her mother, and interrogated as to why she was even doing this to begin with. Even though it was so dark out and Aether Paradise known to be notoriously difficult to navigate, Lillie knew this place like the back of her hand. It was all that she’d ever known, practically being raised on the floating complex since birth; not even getting a single glimpse of the real paradise that was hidden behind sterile white walls. Her experience of running around this false paradise led her to the docking bay, where private liners and boats that came to and from the Foundation were situated, slowly rocking to the rhythmic motion of the sea. But the yachts weren’t her target. She was focused on a meticulously placed platform elevator that was hidden in plain sight, the only notion of it being there to begin with was a numeric keypad and an on switch. Trying to concentrate, she pressed four of the buttons in quick succession and they seemingly played a different musical note that corresponded to each digit. It just so happened that the password consigned with the melody of a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was younger, and Lillie had perfect pitch after years of playing piano. To think that such a distant and gleeful memory with her mother was now nothing more than a security measure used against her.The silent whirr of the platform stirred as it began to softly light up with a neon insignia of the Aether Foundation; a golden two-pronged trident with a diamond-like prism in the middle. Lillie still had no idea where the deepest part of the very structure she lived on for so long was, and if she was to find answers, she’d have to (literally) go beneath the surface of the organization’s facade of rehabilitation. Even she thought it was suspicious that an environmentally-oriented group would have geneticists and other brilliant scientific minds besides biologists among its ranks. Lillie had no idea where the platform would take her, but she descended to the lowest level nonetheless. Her expression was emotionless and seemingly stoic, but in reality she was utterly terrified as to what lies beneath her very feet. The part of the Aether Foundation that very few people were even allowed to access. The platform elevator continued to whirr until it stopped abruptly, leading her towards a dimly-lit monochromatic corridor with walls of glass, metal, and concrete. The air here was heavy yet silent, and Lillie was starting to second-guess herself as to if this exploration to the foundation’s abyss was even a good idea to begin with. She took a deep breath and forged ahead, the only other sounds breaking the silence being her tip-toeing footsteps on the metallic flooring.As she continued to wander along the narrow halls, she came across a dead end. And a peculiar one at that. It was a spacious room situated behind a thick wall of glass with two rudimentary looking beds placed at both ends. It almost looked like a prison cell or a hospital room. Why would such a place like this be hiding at the very bottom of Aether Paradise? It almost looked completely abandoned. The lights were completely off in the room as well, so she wasn’t able to discern any other objects that could have possibly been hidden. And in the darkness, a sudden glow began to emerge from the shadows. It shone with a soft orange and azure hue, almost like a firelight. Lillie staggered back, falling on her heels in shock and fear. This place wasn’t abandoned after all. The strange illumination was seemingly transfixed on her, and began to approach the boundary that separated the chamber from the rest of the corridor.As it got closer and closer, the outline of a familiar silhouette began to take form and soon enough she was locked face-to-face with inquisitive eyes. The figure tilted its head and gazed at Lillie, her heart beating quickly in fear and surprise. It was a person. Someone that appeared to be her own age, no less. Thoughts began to race through Lillie’s mind about the situation before the tension was broken by the mystery person speaking. “ Sikai…vak eru?” A hushed female voice emanated from the person’s mouth. Lillie gazed at her in silence, confused as to what she was even saying to begin with. This person obviously wasn’t speaking Galarian or Alolan, so why couldn’t she put her finger on what region this person was from? Though she thought it was a bad idea, she began to approach the person with caution to get a closer look. Upon first glance, she looked normal. That was until her reflection was better lit behind the glass wall. Her skin was a ghostly pale blue. Her pupils appeared to glow, and her eye shape was peculiar as well. Blotches of her skin, like freckles, appeared to shine as well. The figure placed her hand on the boundary, and Lillie slowly did the same in return. Her breaths were now shaky and filled with unease. There was no way her mother ordered people in her foundation to kidnap someone, especially a young girl. And why was she blue and glowing? Did scientists conduct experiments on her or something? Another possibility then flashed within her mind, one that she couldn’t even bear to think to be true. Her mother was deeply interested in Ultra Space, and it was because of her fascination with the infinite yet unknown frontier of other worlds that her father was-. Could it be that this person was…“Oh, right. I guess you couldn’t understand me at first since I was speaking Ultari’i. Force of habit, I guess. Have to remember that I’m on Terra, after all. Sorry for being so sidetracked, but who are you?” The person gleefully replied, despite still being confined to that dismal space. That was when everything clicked. She was inhuman .
Otherworldly.
Alien.
The only life that was known to exist in Ultra Space were incomprehensible yet powerful Pokémon-like entities that came through rifts in time and space. At least until now. The greatest question in the universe, “are we truly alone?”, was finally answered. And Lillie was terrified. “I…” Her voice quivered. “There’s no need to be scared. I’m not gonna hurt you. Besides, I can barely even do anything while I’m stuck here like this.” She initially thought that the alien girl was trying to lull her into a false sense of security and then lash out at her in order to escape, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. She was just as scared of Lillie as Lillie was scared of her. She took a deep breath before recomposing herself. “My name is Lillie. What’s yours?” The blonde girl hesitantly asked. In response the alien girl took her hand off the glass boundary and appeared to make a salute towards her, stamping her feet on the ground twice before making a strange gesture with both her hands. “Zos’thayuni Astera-ank’Rozoa: ensign, technician, and engineer of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron, reporting for duty!” She flashed a quick grin afterwards, getting a glimpse of her surprisingly sharp looking teeth.
What.
Now Lillie had even more questions than she initially did before. The most glaring issue was how in the world was she supposed to pronounce her name? She had to be courteous at all times, even though she was literally talking to an actual real-life alien of all people. "I-it's nice to meet you...Zos..tera? Zuni? Ankh Rosa?" Lillie fumbled with her words. She could possibly be the first person to encounter sentient alien life and she immediately fucked up her name. "Oh, yeah. I guess my people's language can be a tad difficult for first-time speakers. Just call me Zossie!" Once again, the alien, now identified as Zossie, smiled. Lillie, who was still completely dumbfounded by the fact that an actual extraterrestrial was just nonchalantly sitting in front of her hesitated in her response. “It’s nice to meet you, Zossie. I deeply apologize about completely butchering your name earlier.””Don’t worry about it. Also, I think it’s almost morning and I don’t think any of the people in the white coats are expecting a girl down here.” Shit. It was almost morning, wasn’t it? Lillie had to get out of here fast before anyone noticed she was missing from her room. “I’ll talk to you later…I hope.” Lillie said before trekking off back to the platform that brought her here. “See you around!” The blue alien’s voice was now faded as she ran towards the corridor’s exit. A few days would pass until their next meeting, and Lillie now had even more questions. Why were aliens in Alola, and stranded on Aether Paradise of all places? What did she want? She repeated her same routine as before: sneaking out at night and using the platform elevator to get to the bottom floor. Lillie once again walked with caution, but this time it was out of fear of being caught. A familiar glow shone faintly from the pane of glass, that of Zossie’s peculiar “freckles”. She was swaying her arms back and forth and humming an unfamiliar melody. Lillie had no idea music of all things was universal.“What’s that you’re humming?” She asked, immediately bypassing the initial questions she was going to ask Zossie. “It’s a song from my homeworld. My mother used to sing it to me while trying to lull me to sleep when I was restless. Apparently it’s one that almost every Ultari knows across every world.”“Ultari?” Lillie questioned. “Yep. That’s the name of my people’s species,” She began to point at herself. “Ultari,” The blue alien then pointed her finger at Lillie through the glass. “Human.” “I…I see. It’s a nice song, by the way.” The blonde human replied. Zossie smirked in response. “I can sing it, if you want me to. I think I know the Terran approximation for some of the verses, so you’ll be able to understand me. Also, I’ve never actually sung for someone before…” Her facial “freckles” began to shift from a dark blue to that of a neon hue. Was she blushing? It sure looked like she was. “Sure.” The Ultari took a deep breath before reading her voice to sing before Lillie. She was about to hear a song from another world. “We raise our voices unto the cosmos
And the realms beyond
O, eternally shining brilliance
Heed our prayers in song
Bring us light
Bring us life
For we walk with you among the sta-.”
Zossie then stopped her performance abruptly, turning her attention away from Lillie and glancing at something within the enclosed room. There was another shadow stirring in its confines. Another alien. It seemingly emerged from the bedframe on the other side of the facility, and more glowing eyes were dead-set on the lone human. The same feelings of fear that were seemingly washed away when Zossie was there began to set in again. This time, the alien’s eyes were a purplish maroon, glaring daggers right into her soul. It wasn’t the look of curiosity, but that of contempt. The figure approached the glass boundary and looked down at Lillie. The alien appeared to be much older than Zossie, looking to be in his mid-twenties. He snarled somewhat at the very sight of her. “You should not be here. Return from whence you came at once, human.” The male Ultari spoke, his voice much deeper than she expected. “But Dulse! This is the first human we’ve met that isn’t trying to use us as living test subjects! She’s just a child. She’s not gonna hurt us.” Zossie protested. “And so are you, Zos’thayuni. The only reason why you are even on this mission is because the Captain ordered it, and his orders are absolute.” He reprimanded. Zossie, in response, crossed her arms and turned away from him looking back at Lillie. “I...probably should’ve told you I’m not the only one here. Sorry about that.”Once again like their first meeting, Lillie still had more questions than answers. What was the Recon Squad anyways, and why were they here?"E-excuse me, if I may. Did you say mission?" The human asked. The male alien, Dulse she heard him be called, sighed and continued to glare at Lillie. He seemed to be bothered by the fact that he was being questioned after immediately telling her to leave him alone. "You are not to speak of this to anyone, do you understand? We have already been compromised enough, so I suppose it is only fitting to tell you our purpose in this world and our objective," Dulse began. He appeared to be tinkering with something on his wrist before a small holographic display appeared before her. It showed a video of a futuristic city covered in geometric black buildings, only being illuminated by neon lights that were embedded in the streets. People, no, Ultari citizens, were wandering around, living their daily lives in a language she could not comprehend. And at the center of it all, was a brilliant tower; the brightest structure in the entire city. "This is our homeworld: Ulu-olis'a Megolia. Otherwise known as Ultra Megalopolis. This great city has been prosperous for thousands of years thanks to our people's ingenuity, technological prowess, and ability to travel to other worlds across Ultra Space. It was also once home to a being of pure radiance, an entity that our people have revered for lifetimes. The Blinding One," The hologram then shifted to what appeared to be an ancient painting of Ultari prostrating themselves before a golden dragon. Was this a legendary Pokémon? Or rather, some extremely powerful Ultra Beast? Whatever it was, Lillie did not recognize it. "We worshiped the Blinding One, and in return to our kin's devotion, it granted us its light and the ability to travel across different worlds. If it weren't for the Blinding One, we wouldn't even be so technologically advanced to begin with. Alas, as is the nature of the universe; things change," Dulse's voice then became solemn, and once again the hologram changed. "Our ancestors betrayed its trust, utilizing its powers only to fuel their own personal ambitions. They tortured it. Placed it into a seemingly unbreakable prison where a great temple dedicated to its glory once was, shattering its very being into fragments that became scattered across different Ultra Space worlds. They thought that with this act that they could make Ultra Megalopolis even more prosperous. But they were foolish to think otherwise,"The image then shifted to a harrowing scene. Lillie looked upon it in horror, even though it appeared to be merely an illustration. Zossie tried to look away as well, but she couldn't. This was the history of her people, after all. It looked so lifelike. She could hear the voices of people screaming and crying out across the city. Flames rising to be as tall as buildings. And not a single star shining in the night sky."With this act, our ancestors thought they were granting the planet and the people its salvation. But they were the ones who wrought their own demise instead. This was the Blinding One's fury. After betraying its trust, the One we once so revered as a god turned its back on us and cast its judgment, ridding our world of any and all natural light. That of the sun. That of the moon. That of the stars. This was the punishment for our sins and transgressions against the very one we worshipped. Its fury and hatred for our people's misdeeds were returned a thousandfold. The sins of the few caused many to suffer in its wake. Its wrath subsided and it was once again contained in its prison; Megalo Tower, where it still lay dormant to this day," The holographic screen turned to a clearer picture of the giant tower that was present in the initial image. "This...was our ancient history. A story our kin would rather forget but are forced to remember every waking moment of our lives. Thousands of years ago, and yet our people are still trying to reclaim the light we once lost. But once more, things are dire. The Tower of Light's protective shields and barriers are fading away and losing power. The Blinding One stirs yet again, its suffering from millennia ago still paining it like fresh wounds. The Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron has traveled across thousands, if not tens of thousands, of worlds spanning Ultra Space in order to find a solution to quell the Blinding One's fury and end its pain. But, we have found nothing. Not even a single thing of note even across different planets and timelines and dimensions. Our hope was seemingly lost,""That was until we searched on the one planet, the one world with other intelligent beings like ourselves that we were by decree not to interfere with: Terra. Your world, human. We had detected aura signals similar to that of the ones in our database from the time of the Blinding One seemingly scattered across one landmass in particular. Initially, our researchers could not believe what they had found, but everything aligned so perfectly. The shards of the Blinding One are on Alola. We were desperate, and so we set out on this mission to find a solution to this crisis. And in return, the Aether Foundation offered to collaborate with us. The human in charge of this organization is quite knowledgeable on Ultra Beasts, despite being a rarity for this world, and even has one in her possession despite being relatively weak in its current state. We, being from Ultra Space, and her, having knowledge of Terra and the region of Alola, exchanged information with one another in order to assist one another with our separate missions. That is why we are here. That is our sole mission." As Dulse finished his interdimensional history lesson, the light of the hologram faded and the room returned to darkness. Everything seemingly fell silent with tension brewing between both Ultari and the lone human.”I…I don’t know what to say.” Lillie said, stunned with every word she spoke. “Dulse, I think that was too much for her to take in.” Zossie said in a somewhat concerned tone.”She was the one who asked for our objective, and I responded accordingly. What would you have told her, Zossie? That we are denizens of another world desperately seeking a solution when we’re on the brink of collapse?!” Dulse’s voice was raised in irritation. The young Ultari didn’t respond to his sudden outburst, but the other person in the room did. Lillie once more ran towards the platform lift, hoping to leave this place behind once and for all. She was still trying to process everything Dulse said to her in his revelation. They were working for her. She had an Ultra Beast. She was using them for her own goals and the aliens were too focused on their life-or-death mission to realize it. This was the straw that broke the Numel’s back. Lillie had to escape this hellish paradise, no matter what. Even if she knew too much. Their last meeting was one that was never supposed to happen. Panicked and hurried footsteps echoed across the metal platform as Lillie ran on the conservatory walkway, clutching her white bag in her hand. She looked down to see if something was securely tightened in its large pocket. From the bag, a tiny little noise cried out.
Pew!
Several footsteps, those of loyal Aether Foundation employees in white uniform, followed her. Her attempts at going unnoticed and trying to jailbreak a sentient cloud of space dust from a highly secure artificial island backfired on her.”Someone stop her and get the specimen back to the lab, immediately!” Someone shouted.
We have to get out of here. No matter what, Nebby.
That’s what she’d affectionately called the poor Ultra Beast that was in the clutches of Aether Foundation scientists and her mother. She could only imagine what horrid and cruel things they were doing to it, even if it was to further her own agenda or that of…The Ultra Recon Squad. The duo of familiar Ultari now stood in front of her, clad in futuristic looking suits of protective armor and visors staring her down. Dulse had his arms outstretched, blocking her from any chance of escaping from Aether Paradise. “Don’t do this,” A familiar voice spoke. Lillie turned behind to see Zossie with a pained look in her eyes, despite them being hidden under her visors. Her voice was shaking as well. “Why shouldn’t I?! You don’t know what my mother is capable or what she’ll do to you!” She shouted. “We don’t have a choice…Our world is dying! If you were given the choice to stand by and do nothing or save your people, what would you do?! I wanted you to be the first human I trusted, I really did. But I… My loyalties lie with the Reconnaissance Squadron.” The two aliens began to slowly approach Lillie in her current state of desperation, surrounding her on both ends. More and more Aether Foundation employees came in like a tidal wave, and she was trapped. “There is no means for your escape, human. Now, please cooperate with us. We do not wish to use force on yo-.””GO AWAY!!!” Lillie had never yelled with such vitriol, pain, fear and hatred in her life. All she wanted was to disappear away from the Foundation and her mother and everything that came with it. All she wanted was to live a normal life, but her’s was one that was far from it. Abnormality was all she’d ever known.Suddenly, she became enveloped in a dazzling light that was seemingly coming from her bag’s storage compartment. The Ultari of the Recon Squad alongside the other Aether employees braced themself by covering their eyes whilst looking straight at the blinding radiance. It shone like that of a nebula, with hues of bright violet and blue. The conservation area was flooded with the light until it dissipated, Aether Foundation and Reconnisance Squadron members both looking frantically for the girl and mysterious Pokèmon. She faded away from sight. She was finally free, but soon enough the Foundation would try to track her down. Though Lillie had escaped paradise, she was now lost and alone among the unfamiliar shores of the Alolan islands. Her body was sprawled across wet sand, ocean waves lapping up to the bottom of her silken dress. Still disoriented after being enveloped by that light, Lillie recomposed herself whilst being on her guard. She had no idea where she was. And this was simultaneously the best and worst outcome. No longer would she be Lusamine’s child; she’d have to forge her own identity anew. Her old life came to an abrupt end and a new journey was soon to begin. No matter where her path would take her, she would never look back and always look to the stars to guide her.
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USER HAS BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION BY THE ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON TO VIEW THIS FILE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE CLASSIFIED
"....From the heart of the first Hive-Mother, the land beneath us was formed
And from her eyes and body, the twin stars and the world we encircle came into being
Her stinger and talons became towering mountains, scales became vast forests, blood became the flowing waters above and below
We are all of her brood, and she too was a child of the primordial Bringer of Light
This was the era before the Realmwalkers came to us through rifts of starlight and Hive-Clans founded, a history only spoken of in myth and in song
O, Great Hive-Mother Na'del, we invoke your glory as we sing this song of creation
For You are a part of Us, and Us born of You."- Ultra Hive Creation Myth, author unknownAside from Ultra Megalopolis, there is no other world with such a complex and rich history as those of Ultra Hive. The excerpt of the Creation Myth bears slight similarities to the commonly accepted Ultari story due to the offhand mention of a "Bringer of Light", which may be invoking the Blinding One, as in the text it mentions that It created the Ultra Beasts themselves, further insinuating the interconnectedness of Ultra Space itself. As for the denizens of this world, both Ultari and Ultra Beast (primarily Poipole and Naganadel) live in relative harmony among one another despite being of completely different species.The first Ultari inhabitants of Daora NP804 were said to be voyagers from the time when the very first foundations of Ultra Megalopolis were being built, and from the estimation of historians that was approximately 25,000 cycles ago. Whether or not they came from Ultra Wormhole or astride Solgaleo or Lunala is still unclear, as the aforementioned organisms are common on the surface of Ultra Hive and many other worlds as well. These initial inhabitants would be some of the first populations of Ultari to successfully domesticate the Poipole line and form psionic links with Naganadel. During the Purge of Light, there was an influx of people trying to flee from the Blinding One's judgement to known inhabitable worlds, and many arrived to Ultra Hive, despite the inhabitants who had lived there not knowing of their migration. Initial tensions between these two groups were high, as those who hailed from the Great City were initially confused and dumbfounded to see those of their kind live alongside Ultra Beasts as if they were their own; the only interactions with these creatures aside from being used as mounts for inter-dimensional travel were mainly those of unprompted attacks and because of their unparalleled power, they were feared.As time went on, these groups would slowly begin to cooperate with one another to varying degrees, some groups who initially dwelled on Daora NP804 refused to accept these newcomers to their world and became secluded from others. This would lead to a socio-cultural shift across the planet in which the descendants of those from Ultra Megalopolis brought with them their advanced technology and taught them how to utilize them in different ways, whilst the people living alongside Naganadel would teach them not to fear the Ultra Beasts and other creatures that were common across the planet and learn to live among them. The exchange between these groups is still ongoing between various Hive-Clans and the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron's Interdimensional Culture Sector, but on a lesser extent than it was before. Nowadays, Ultra Hive is often viewed as a place where technological advancement, storied traditions, and nature can coexist harmoniously.The Hive-Clans of Daora NP804 are varied in number, and many cultural experts continuously debate on the amount of these communities due to the sheer amount of Naganadel nests throughout the region that people could potentially inhabit. Though many of these clans have different cultural practices and traditions, the societal stratification structure of each one is relatively similar. The main difference from other realms in Ultra Space is that both the Ultari and Poipole & Naganadel who live in these clans live in different hierarchies that simultaneously coexist with one another.
Clan Societal Structure
Corresponding to the role of the Archseer of the High Convocation are the Hive-Mother of each individual brood and the Ultari representative that the leading Naganadel has chosen to oversee the citizens of the clan. They are the ones who enforce the laws that govern each hive and maintain order within them. However, unlike the High Convocation, there is a lack of a presence of a council that governs different departments and subsects. This sociopolitical structure is relatively simpler compared to the High Convocation in the regard that these specializations are absent. The Hive-Mother also functions as a sort of a sagely figure, a purveyor of wisdom and knowledge passed down orally from generation to generation within the nest.Even though there is only one Hive-Mother that corresponds to each of the clans, some allow other Naganadel capable of rearing their own broods within the confines of the hive and only allowing them to do so if they swear fealty to the clan itself. Others are not so lenient, and in some remote territories, the leading Naganadel is known to kill anyone who may prove to be a threat to their dominion; brutal in regards to leadership but a part of these Ultra Beast's instincts and nature. On very rare occasions, when some non-breeding individual tries to stake their claim as Hive-Mother and intervene with the flow of succession, they and the Hive-Mother will partake in a ritualistic combat rite in order to prove whomever is fit to be leader and ends when blood is drawn from either individual. The losing Naganadel is either cast out of the hive in exile or assigned to a lowly caste, such as a gatherer. Oftentimes, when a Hive-Mother is growing old, they assign and personally train someone that is befitting of the title due to their leadership qualities, strength, and willingness to defend the clan with their life. Since an organization like the Ultra Reconnaissance Squadron does not exist on Ultra Hive (although there are temporary field research stations set up across the planet), the means of defending themselves from potential Ultra Beast attacks are drastically different from the ones we are familiar with. They employ the assistance of Poipole and Naganadel drones alongside Ultari who are trained in the ways of combat to drive away any threats when necessary. Aside from this warrior class, other roles commonly held within Hive-Clan society include farmers and horticulturists (thanks to the introduction of specialized hydroponics from Ultra Megalopolis, rearing sufficient food for clans are relatively simple instead of relying solely on foraging or hunting), artisans, scholars and philosophers, priests and spiritual leaders, and medicinal practitioners just to name a few.
Cultural Customs
Aside from the widely known Tsanzora rite and Astral Migration, events of great importance held within Ultra Hive are vast in number compared to those found within Ultra Megalopolis. Such events include solar and lunar eclipse celebrations due to the fact that many clans believe that these astronomical phenomena are omens of good fortune because they represent the union of a mated Solgaleo and Lunala. When the Astral Migration happens to coincide with an eclipse, many members of the hive proclaim their feelings to the individual whom they wish to form a lifelong bond with as a form of courtship initiation due to its cultural significance. Other forms of celebration aside from courtship initiations during this period include dances in intricate outfits designed to represent the likeliness of the beasts of the Sunne and Moone, and clanwide feasts that showcase the unique delicacies of this region of Ultra Space that also have symbolic significance to the Migration itself. Another event that holds great significance is known as tao’raxaya (Ultari'i lit. translation: second life), in which a Poipole finally reaches its mature stage and metamorphoses into a Naganadel, essentially becoming “reborn” and a true member of the hive. It is with this rite that the newly pupated Naganadel chooses what role it has within its community: a worker, a gatherer, a warrior, or a story-singer (keeper of oral traditions, spiritual practitioner, and historian). When this happens, the Poipole who is to undergo this transformation is often taken to a sacred site and take a series of trials before entering a period of metamorphic stasis. The many cycles proceeding this event involve the Poipole learning everything it needs to know to become a proper member of the hive before setting out on its trial for transformation. In addition to these events, the people of various Hive-Clans have a rich artistic tradition that dates back thousands of cycles in archaeological sites. The ancient form of visual storytelling and historic archive stem from the territorial markings of nontoxic paint-like substances secreted by Poipole and Naganadel or natural pigments, in which each individual symbol and drawing has a unique meaning. Every time a new person is born within the hive, whether it be a newborn Ultari or hatchling Poipole, their handprint goes on a stone wall mural where others who have come before them have done the same; the mural is continuously updated whenever eventful milestones in an individual’s life have happened. Other murals represent moments in the clan’s history or folk stories. Much like the territorial markings, each individual clan has a different symbol that they use to correspond to one another and they are often incorporated into textiles such as clothing and canvas, in addition to jewelry, pottery, and other mediums.Besides visual arts, the clans of Ultra Hive are also noted to have a longstanding musical tradition as well, as mentioned in other works regarding Ultari cultural practices. The genre and sound is drastically different compared to the electronic, ambient, and industrial styles commonly found in Ultra Megalopolis due to their utilization of intricately crafted instruments instead of technology. These instruments can range from ones that are widely utilized, like flutes and drums, to others that appear to only be found in this region of Ultra Space, such as spherical metal percussion instruments, an assortment of chiming bell-like gongs often adorned with intricate wooden carvings, string instruments akin to the Terran zither that use naturally occurring fibers, resonant horns made out of shells, bone, or hollowed wood, a reed instrument that is said to imitate the call of a Lunala, and several others.
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Hey everyone, crimsonflowerss here.And oh my god, we I just hit 1,000 readers on this series of overly-elaborate headcanons and short stories that I thought people were just gonna gloss over and ignore. I am honestly so thankful for all the positive comments and engagement regarding Those Who Walk Among the Stars and my works related to it. I never expected it to blow up, but I’m extremely grateful all the same! Initially, this started off as a small series of personal lore that I interpreted as canon since we barely have any information or substance regarding the Ultra Recon Squad and other things mentioned offhand in USUM, a game that came out 7 years ago that is often overlooked (and overhated) in the larger scale of the Pokèmon franchise. I got inspired by other pieces of media as well, integrating some of this inspiration into my worldbuilding without straight up copying them entirely (even though some of these inspirations are more obvious than others). On several occasions, however, I thought that my work was incompetent and faced burnout because I was running out of ideas, but more often than not, it was thanks to my readers that inspired me to keep on writing and look where we are now!Again, and I cannot state this enough, thank you all for being so engaged with this expanded universe of the Ultari, Ultra Space’s many worlds, and the Recon Squad, and for the positive comments & feedback that actually inspire me to keep on writing. It means a lot to me, and without your support, I wouldn’t have made it to this milestone. Here’s to more blue bitch content.
Ta eo Illuminari ezoa aia vaxeng
(May the Blinding One light our path.)- crimsonflowerss
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THE FOLLOWING ULTRA RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON ARCHIVED DATA LOG IS CURRENTLY PROHIBITED FROM ACCESS DUE TO ITS CLASSIFIED CONTENTS UNLESS GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION. ANY TRANSMISSION OR COPYING OF THIS DATA WILL RESULT IN EXPULSION FROM THE RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON IF THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION HAS NOT GRANTED ACCESS.
Log Entry No. 1
Location: Medical Sector, URS Headquarters, Ultra Megalopolis
A day that I have dreaded has finally come to pass: I was selected by random to go on field research alongside a group of other individuals, who too were assigned the same task. As a member of the Medical department of the Reconnaissance Squadron, I have no such experience in the ways of active fieldwork aside from those related to my sector of expertise. Everyone who has been chosen for this specific mission has gone on countless expeditions in the name of research and gathering important data for the Squadron, except for me. I appear to be the outlier, but I will not allow this exception to be this mission’s downfall.The three other members are of the xenobiological, mineralogical, and defense sectors. It appears that the non-scientific squadron member was added as a security precaution due to the unpredictability of Ultra Beast attacks. Especially warranted the region we are headed to: Ultra Deep Sea. A place that is notorious for its seemingly inhospitable and hostile conditions due to both environmental factors, and the parasitic lifeforms that call the abyss its home. Though members of seemingly unrelated fields are present, our mission is one and the same. We are to carefully extract samples from the nematocysts and venom glands of a living UB-01 specimen in order to advance our research in developing a refined antitoxin as a cure for the creature’s potent poisons that cause a myriad of negative side effects; and to also mitigate the chances of our own from becoming mindless Hus-.Ahem. My apologies, the previous comment was completely unwarranted but the point still stands. For all our sakes, I hope that this mission is to be a success. If we retrieve these samples, then we are one step closer to an antidote. And with said antitoxin, countless lives that would have otherwise been lost could now be saved. We are to train and leave for Ultra Deep Sea in the following days in order to ensure our preparation. For my first field assignment, this one is of tantamount importance. On the Blinding One, we shall not falter.
Log Entry No. 2
Location: Inanis Trench, Ultra Deep Sea
We have arrived safely in an apparently vacant section of the realm, despite being littered with decayed swaths of coral and various algal growths struggling to survive in close proximity to hydrothermal vents. The air here is heavy and full of traces elements that could potentially be fatal if ingested for prolonged periods of time, and following URS protocol whenever visiting Ultra Deep Sea, all members of the party are wearing proper respiratory equipment. Due to its unnerving quiet, the only sounds that we are currently able to hear is that of our own breaths echoing across this barren frontier. It goes beyond saying that in all other circumstances, life would be impossible to sustain in such a place as this; but, as is the paradoxical nature of Ultra Space, it manages to keep a threshold in spades. Our current plan of operation in order to secure the neurotoxin sample is to find an isolated UB-01 and extract the amount that we require before rereleasing it back into its habitat. The xenobiologist of our group suggested this tactic due to the fact that it is the most optimal and humane, given our circumstances of having to extract such materials from a live specimen. There is also the imminent danger of attempting to face a swarm of these fickle and hostile entities. As is any Ultra Beast species, their strength is in their numbers. And we are straying right into the epicenter of their territory. The beating heart of this otherwise cold and dead world. I must admit something that is unbecoming of a member of the Reconnaissance Squadron experienced as myself: I am afraid. I have witnessed firsthand as to what these creatures can do to people. So have the countless others of the Medical Sector. And that is exactly why we are here to begin with, to find a cure. I know not how long this mission will take, but it matters not. As soon as a lone specimen is in reach will our task essentially be over.
Log Entry No. 3
Location: Unknown, Ultra Deep Sea
After wandering the empty expanse of the seafloor, we have finally made it to a suitable clearing for our specimen extraction. Our xenobiologist has detected faint aura signals of a lone individual far away from any of the countless swarms patrolling the deep sea. The cure we seek is only out of reach, and now we must wait for the specimen to come to us. Our presence alone should be enough to garner its attention, but for now we will stake out the-. Right, I should be quiet and lay low. I know we are required to utilize a live specimen but I am beginning to question how safe of an operation this truly is. We have extracted venom from Naganadel, but that is solely because we utilized personally raised and bonded specimens that were willing volunteers. This is a creature with no mind of its own that only acts on instinct. If we startle it, I fear the worst could potentially happen. The slightest trace of their venom in one’s body is known to cause delirium even if they are not attached to a host. Even though it is common knowledge, knowing such information could be vital, especially now. I must remain calm. The specimen is hovering close by a dead colony of coral. The vial and syringe for collection of the sample is currently in my possession. Here goes nothing. Easy now. I am not going to hurt you, Nihilego… All I require is a small amount of your venom and I will leave you to your own devices. Just cooperate with me here and everything will be alright.Thats it. I cannot believe that this is actually worki-. Wait a minute. It senses the others. No, no, no, no… Stay back! I told you I was not going to-[REMAINING FOOTAGE DATA HAS BEEN LOST DUE TO AN ERROR]
Log Entry No. 4
Location: Medical Sector, URS Headquarters, Ultra Megalopolis
Everything I remember about the mission is hazy. The last thing I can clearly recall is when I reached out my hand towards the UB-01 specimen, trying to extract the required samples and then…Nothing. I cannot seem to recollect anything that came after, no matter how hard I try to focus or concentrate. It almost appears that my mind purposefully goes blank, though I have no current idea as to why this happens.From what I can tell now, is that the mission was a relative success. The neurotoxin sample is currently in the hands of the top toxicologists of the Reconnaissance Squadron and they are immediately researching a way to reverse engineer an antitoxin. The only downside is that it appears that most of our crew members, myself included, have sustained injury. As is to be expected going on a field expedition on one of the most dangerous worlds in Ultra Space. I am currently located in one of the medbay sectors of the Reconnisance Squadron’s emergency medical facility awaiting inspection regarding my aforementioned injuries. How peculiarly ironic it is that someone who works in this very sector is getting an operation done by their fellow peers. As they say on other realms: “fate is a funny thing”. Situational irony aside, I hope that my colleagues recover as fast as possible. I will report back to this log as soon as I have recovered and gotten results regarding my health status.
Log Entry No. 4
It has been days since my physical examination and I have not received any information. I fear as if they are trying to withdraw some unfavorable results from me but I may be worrying too much. Then again, I know not how the others are faring. I have been plagued by aching muscles, a cough, and a constant headache. Perhaps it is still a side effect of prolonged exposure to Ultra Deep Sea’s atmosphere, but again I have not received word from the other URS medical experts overseeing my care at the moment. Initially these symptoms were barely noticeable, but somehow only after such a short period of time they have worsened. I should probably prolong my rest, but it is important that I keep updates, no matter how long it will take for the next one to be recorded.
Log Entry No. 8
I woke up from homeostatic slumber due to the strangest dream. It felt as if I was floating among an empty void with not a shred of light or life in sight. And the experience was…euphoric. No. It was harrowing. A “nightmare” as I have heard some people call it.
It was almost as if this abyss was calling to me, yet I heard not a single sound. And then I felt as if I was being suffocated. Drowning, more like. The abyss surrounded me and then I became enveloped by its presence. I…I feel nauseous even trying to recollect such a scene. Forgive me, I must cut this log short. I am still not feeling the best.
Log Entry No. 12
The results have returned, and they are as I feared. Whilst I was trying to extract samples from the Nihilego specimen, one of its nematocysts managed to breach into my skin resulting in this plague of unwanted side effects. The very venom I was trying to collect in order to save lives now flows in my blood. I know not how long it will take to develop the antitoxin, but my assumption is that it will be quite a long time. Too long for my liking. I should have known this mission was risky. I was a fool trying to utilize samples from a live specimen knowing very well I could lose my life in the process. And yet, I remain. I have been moved to a quarantined sector of the medical facility in order to mitigate the probability of others garnering illness due to my ailments. It almost feels like a prison. My own peers staring back at me through glass walls. I did not become a Husk, yet they treat me as if I am monster. What am I saying? This is nonsense. I am only here for the protection of other members of the Reconnaissance Squadron. If anyone else were to end up like me, the entire organization could be at severe risk. This is for my own good. This is for the greater good.
Log Entry No. 20
The dreams have returned almost a thousandfold. Now I hear voices within the once silent sea of nothingness, calling me forward and leading me into its embrace. I no longer drown within its grasp and yet… I am filled with dread. My blood has become a viscous black and azure ichor; a sludge unrecognizable to the common eye. They needed samples from me. Again. They have been monitoring my behavior for all this time and I still do not know when the antivenin is set for completion. I just want this to be over. I just want this to end.
Log Entry No. ◼️◼️
I killed them.
I killed them.
I led them to their doom trying to fulfill a meaningless mission. The dreams are now connecting. They are becoming visions of things that I cannot seem to fathom nor recollect. My mind is slipping towards obliviescence. But there is one thing I cannot forget. An embrace. A feeling of oneness. Ascension. Freedom. Yet blood is on my hands. Their blood. Blood. Blood. Blood.Blue like the sea.
The twilight zone.
The abyss.The abyss is calling to me.The sea is my home. And I am far from its waters.I do not know who I even am anymore. Am I a member of the Recon Squad? A murderer? A test subject? Someone gone mad? Every one of these simultaneously? Please, I wish to be free of this madness. I want this restless hunger to cease. I-.[A SEVERE SYSTEM ERROR HAS OCCURRED]