With Shiny Necrozma playing the role of a stunning mule, it didn't take long for Dylan to successfully tame the other Necrozma.
After all, Dylan had already proven his overwhelming strength. Add in the persuasion of its own kin and the promise of more light, and the wild Necrozma agreed to follow him—"temporarily." Of course, Dylan completely ignored the "temporarily" part.
Join the family and expect to leave? Dream on.
Now it was perfect—golden Ultra Necrozma on the left, silver-gray Ultra Necrozma on the right.
Two dazzling bodyguard stallions—absolutely unstoppable!
With Necrozma secured, there was no longer any reason to remain in Ultra Space. They had gained plenty—the Ultra Beasts were basically all caught.
Lunala opened an Ultra Wormhole, and Dylan, his group, and the native Ultra Megalopolis residents, including Phyco, returned to the regular world.
"President Lusamine, I'll leave the arrangements for Phyco and the others to you," Dylan said at Aether Paradise.
"Don't worry, Dylan." Lusamine smiled back.
This Ultra Space journey had brought her all the Ultra Beasts she'd dreamed of collecting. She had no more lingering obsessions.
And most importantly, she had mended things with Lillie—mother and daughter had reconciled, and Lusamine couldn't be happier.
She was grateful to Dylan, but also deeply awed by him. Anyone this powerful and terrifying—how could one not fear him?
She could also tell that Dylan seemed to care about Phyco and his people. That made this task even more important for her.
"Dylan, I heard from Lillie. May I have the honor of inviting your parents to dinner? I want to thank them in person for taking care of Lillie."
Lusamine hesitated, then asked earnestly.
It was only proper that she thank Dylan's parents. After all, they were now Lillie's godparents.
"Of course, I'll speak to them," Dylan nodded without refusing.
"Great, I'll have someone prepare everything." Lusamine smiled and stepped aside to make some calls.
"So? Are you finally at ease now?" Dylan turned to Lillie with a grin.
"Mm-hmm~ Thank you, big brother!"
Lillie beamed, her delicate face lighting up. She nodded vigorously like a pecking chick.
Of course she was happy. The problems with her family were resolved perfectly. From now on, she wouldn't have to worry about her mother being in danger anymore.
Dylan then called Itto and Amelia to let them know everything had been settled, and that Lusamine wished to invite them to dinner.
The two discussed it and agreed. They liked Lillie—a sweet, well-mannered girl—and it made sense to meet her biological mother.
Once things were settled, everyone rested at Lusamine's estate.
After letting Dylan's group settle in, Lusamine quietly slipped away alone.
"I wonder where Gladion is now… I need to ask Mother to find him."
Lillie sat on the sofa, blinking as she suddenly remembered her real brother.
Now that her mother had returned to her kind self, Gladion would surely be just as happy.
"Oh right, I forgot you had a real brother." Leaf blinked in surprise.
She had just been deciding which Ultra Beast to focus on training. Dylan had given her one of the ones she liked best, so now she was stuck with the happy dilemma of choosing which to raise first.
After thinking it over, she figured it was best to ask Dylan for a recommendation.
"Huh? Where's Dylan?" Leaf glanced to the side and noticed he was gone.
"I think he went to the bathroom," Lillie said, tilting her head.
At that moment, deep in the basement of the estate, Lusamine stood in a hidden chamber, holding Poké Balls containing the Ultra Beasts, her face twisted with joy and excitement.
Her usually pale skin now looked disturbingly unhealthy.
"My collection is finally complete!"
She was ecstatic. Ever since her husband Mohn disappeared while researching Ultra Beasts, her mind had been slipping.
Collecting Ultra Beasts had become her obsession. And now, she finally had them. It was perfect.
Lusamine quickly composed herself and looked at the crystalline display pillars before her—each holding a Pokémon frozen alive for display.
"Tsk, President Lusamine, I didn't expect this side of you."
A voice cut through the silence, startling her. Her pupils lost their light as she whipped around.
"Who's there?!"
Her voice was cold as ice. This collection room was her most tightly kept secret. If anyone found out—it would ruin her.
But when she saw who was standing there, her pupils shrank.
"Dylan…"
"Oh, I'd noticed something strange about how you left earlier, so I followed. Didn't expect to stumble across this."
Dylan walked over leisurely to a cryogenically frozen Wigglytuff, his tone oddly amused.
"To think the famous President Lusamine, champion of loving Pokémon and protector of the injured, actually does this in private—freezing Pokémon alive for your viewing pleasure. Heh~"
He clucked his tongue, casting a sideways glance at her.
Lusamine had a wonderful reputation in Alola, and why? Because Aether Paradise's mission was to protect wounded Pokémon. Everyone believed she was full of kindness and love.
But no one could've imagined that she was secretly a twisted collector who preserved the Pokémon she "loved" by freezing them alive.
This was no longer the behavior of a rational person—it was a window into her deep-seated sickness.
"Dylan, I… I can explain."
Lusamine's face went pale. She hadn't expected Dylan to discover this. If this were exposed—she didn't dare imagine the consequences.
She had just achieved her dream of collecting the Ultra Beasts. She had just reconciled with her beloved daughter!
"Explain? President Lusamine, you must be joking. The evidence is right in front of me—what's left to explain?" Dylan sneered.
Lusamine clenched her fists, her expression grim and lifeless.
"If the League learns of this, they won't let you go, President Lusamine," Dylan said calmly.
"Or better yet—what if Lillie finds out? If your daughter knew her mother was someone who freezes innocent Pokémon alive just to admire them… how would she react?"
"Would you really want Lillie to be completely disillusioned with you? To hate you?"
At this moment, Dylan was like a devil.
"No… please, don't do that!"
Lusamine gritted her teeth. This couldn't happen.
"Don't do what?" Dylan asked, lips curling upward.
"Don't tell anyone about this—please, Dylan, I'll do anything," Lusamine said at last, lips trembling.
If this secret got out, her life would be over. She'd lose everything, be arrested by the League, and her children… they'd abandon her.
It was more than she could bear.
And this was Dylan. She knew perfectly well—she had no leverage in front of him.
"If you weren't Lillie's mother and still useful to me, I'd have turned you in already."
Dylan shook his head. He knew she understood exactly what that meant.
"Defrost all of these Pokémon. Take care of them properly."
He looked at the frozen Pokémon. They were still alive—if thawed and treated, they could recover.
"Yes." Lusamine obeyed without hesitation. She had no other choice.
"Now that we've figured out everything about the Ultra Beasts, organize the data and submit it to the Kanto League. Then apply to establish the Alola League."
Dylan paused a moment, then gave the order.
Lusamine's brows furrowed slightly. The Alola League… If she remembered right, Kukui had applied several times without success.
"Dylan… I mean, Mr. Dylan, do you think Kanto will approve it?"
Noticing Dylan's look, she quickly changed her wording.
"Just call me Dylan in front of others," he said casually.
"And yes—they will. The Pokémon League has never ignored Alola. The only reason they haven't set up a branch here was the unknown nature of the Ultra Beasts."
"But now that I've uncovered all their secrets, President Damaranji won't say no."
"Once it's approved, you'll apply to be the president of the Alola League."
"I… I understand."
Lusamine's eyes lit up. The president of the Alola League? That was a position she never even dreamed of before.
"With your reputation and credentials, you're more than qualified. There aren't many in Alola who could compete with you."
"Win over Kukui and the island kahunas. That shouldn't be hard for you."
Dylan had no doubt about her ability. Lusamine was highly capable—not just as a trainer, but as a strategist. She had built Aether Foundation into what it was today.
And now that he had leverage over her, having her run the Alola League under his control was ideal.
"I'll take care of it."
Ambition burned in Lusamine's eyes. Her obsession with Ultra Beasts may have ended, but now she had a new goal.
Becoming the head of the Alola League—she would be standing among the most powerful figures in the world.
It was… perfect!
"Also, look for strong trainers in Alola to appoint… eh, I'll check later to see if I can recommend better candidates."
Dylan thought of the original Alola Elite Four from the games and fell silent.
He began weighing his own options to see if he had better candidates. After all, Alola didn't need to surpass Kanto, but it was his "backyard" now—it had to be respectable.
(End of Chapter)