Chapter 56: Capturing an Ultra Beast

Chapter 56: Capturing an Ultra Beast

Charizard didn't leave with Ron in the end. It decided to stay with Salazzle for a while. Ron planned for it to return once he traveled to the Johto region.

Ron had no choice but to let Dragonite carry him down the mountain. Afterward, he visited Kiawe's family ranch. Kiawe's mother, Amara, and father, Rango, warmly welcomed Ron. After all, back in Kanto, Ron had taken good care of Kiawe and the others.

Of course, there was also Kiawe's little sister, Mimo, the classic little-sister-obsessed brother's weak spot. She curiously examined Cosmog, who was sipping Moomoo Milk, and asked, "Brother Ron, what's this Pokémon's name? It's so cute!"

The three wild-style Pokémon drinking milk nearby were instantly dealt a devastating emotional blow. Each one of them was ferocious and rugged, but when compared to the adorable Cosmog, they instantly lost their edge.

"This one? Hmm, just call it Nebby," Ron said, patting Cosmog's tiny head.

Cosmog tilted its head. "Nebby?" Was that its name?

Mimo poked Cosmog's face curiously and played with it for a while before shifting her attention to Dragonite and the others. Dragonite and the rest immediately plastered big friendly smiles on their faces, welcoming Mimo's affection.

Ron took a sip of Moomoo Milk and thought to himself: When I get to Johto, I've got to capture a whole herd of Miltank. Moomoo Milk is incredibly nutritious—and delicious.

Ding-ling-ling. "Ron, you've got a call!"

Lillie had recorded the ringtone herself, and it started playing as Ron's phone rang.

Ron answered. "Moshi moshi, this is Ron. Who's calling?"

"It's me," Lusamine's voice came through. "Ron, we've found traces of Ultra Beasts on Mount Lanakila, Ula'ula Island. Could you head over and help capture them?"

"Got it. How many are there? I'll prep accordingly."

"Not entirely sure yet, but there are at least two."

"Alright. I'm on my way."

"Hmph? You should say, 'Guardian acknowledges and will depart immediately.'"

"I'm hanging up now." Ron rolled his eyes and ended the call. He really couldn't appreciate his future mother-in-law's sense of humor. At least he and Lillie were on the same page about that.

He recalled Gyarados and Tyranitar, picked up Cosmog, and jumped onto Dragonite's back. After informing Kiawe's parents, Dragonite soared into the sky, heading straight for Mount Lanakila on Ula'ula Island.

Dragonite's flying speed was still quite fast, though not as fast as Charizard. After about an hour, Ron arrived at Mount Lanakila. Guided by a helicopter from the Aether Foundation, he landed in a snowy field.

As the helicopter descended, the strong airflow stirred up thick snow, blasting Dragonite with flurries that made it visibly uncomfortable. This kind of weather probably didn't sit well with any Dragon-type Pokémon.

The helicopter's cabin door opened, and two people jumped out. One was Lusamine, and the other was Professor Burnet. Ron noticed the ring on Burnet's finger and asked, "You're Professor Burnet, right? Kukui's other half?"

"That's me. And you must be the 'Ron' that Kukui always talks about. We'll be counting on you this time," Burnet said with a warm smile, a hint of affection on her face.

Ron instantly felt like he'd been force-fed another bowl of dog food and cursed himself for bringing it up. He replied, "No worries, leave it to me."

"Huh? Ron, where's your Charizard? Why'd Dragonite bring you?" Lusamine asked curiously.

"Uh… it's in love. Still hanging out at Wela Volcano. It'll come back once I head to Johto," Ron said with a helpless expression.

The two women exchanged a look and couldn't help but laugh. After a while, they composed themselves, brought out some equipment, and explained to Ron that his task was to capture the Ultra Beasts. They would then open the Ultra Wormhole and send them home.

Of course, if there were more than expected, they wouldn't mind keeping one or two for research. Ron accepted the task and rode Dragonite to begin his search around Mount Lanakila.

With his enhanced field-of-view cheat, Ron's vision was excellent. About two kilometers from Burnet and Lusamine, he spotted an Ultra Beast in the snow and quickly had Dragonite descend.

In the snowy field, a tall, slender, humanoid Pokémon was lying on the ground. Ron immediately recognized it—Pheromosa, though it looked like it had been attacked by Ice-type Pokémon. It was badly injured, parts of its body frozen and suffering severe frostbite.

Pheromosa weakly opened its eyes, glanced at the human in front of it, and made a few cries. Ron realized he could actually understand it. In the anime, even Meowth couldn't comprehend Buzzwole, so Ron gave the system a mental thumbs-up.

"Don't worry," Ron said. "I won't hurt you. I'm just going to capture you so I can treat your injuries."

He took out an Ultra Ball and easily caught the weakened Pheromosa. Then he released it again and used the system's gold to buy Revival Herbs and Ice Heals. As expected from system-grade items, the two medicines healed Pheromosa almost instantly.

Pheromosa gave Ron a haughty little hug. He didn't take it personally—it was in her nature. Pheromosa was always noble and elegant, seemingly disgusted by everything in other worlds. The fact that she even hugged Ron showed she was already fond of him. Ron asked a few questions and learned that she and her companions had accidentally fallen through the Ultra Wormhole.

Their home was a wide desert filled with towering stone pillars, countless caves, and pale blue crystals growing on the rocks—just like in the game.

Ron asked how many others had come through and whether they wanted to go back or stay. If they wanted to return, he'd help send them home. If they stayed, he'd welcome them—but they had to live at the Aether Foundation first to ensure they wouldn't disrupt the local ecosystem.

Pheromosa chose to stay with Ron. As for her companions, they had gone to find something to help her but would return soon.

Just as Pheromosa said, before long, ten other Pheromosa came running over. They were thrilled to see their friend had recovered. Seeing their frostbite, Ron bought more Ice Heals from the system and treated them.

Before long, the whole group warmed up to Ron and expressed their desire to stay. Their home dimension might have been a desert, and though they were used to it, who wouldn't want a better life if given the chance?

Only two of them had unresolved ties back home and decided to return. Ron didn't push them. He captured the ten Pheromosa in Ultra Balls and rode Dragonite back to Lusamine and Burnet.

He explained the situation to them, and Lusamine agreed to have the Aether Foundation accept the eight remaining Pheromosa and help them adjust to life in Alola.

Burnet opened an Ultra Wormhole using her equipment. The two who wanted to return leapt in and vanished.

Ron handed the remaining eight Ultra Balls to Lusamine. As he tossed one in his hand, he grinned—this was a massive win.

Pheromosa were top-tier Pokémon, and the remaining ones were all high-quality as well. Ron asked Lusamine to leave one for Lillie, hoping she'd like it. Lusamine clearly adored Pheromosa too, hugging one tightly and refusing to let go.

Pheromosa looked at Lusamine with a disgusted expression and helplessly glanced at Ron. He shrugged—nothing he could do about it. Honestly, Pheromosa and Lusamine looked oddly alike. Maybe they'd get along well after all.