Having successfully captured a Mythical Pokémon, Alex continued northeast past the Poni Plains and began the journey across the sea. With little to see or do along the way, he released Zeraora and began earning its trust by sharing stories about his own and Alvera's adventures over a meal of roasted Master ranked Pokémon meat.
As expected, Zeraora was astonished by the meal. Not only was it incredibly delicious, but it was also packed with nutrients. It could tell from the very first bite that this was unlike anything it had ever eaten. It didn't even care that it came from another Pokémon. If anything, it was even more impressed that the meat had belonged to a former Master ranked Pokémon whose strength had undoubtedly surpassed its own. To Zeraora, that proved Alex was powerful enough to offer the kind of life it wanted.
It also loved watching Alex's battles through Rotom's holograms, witnessing his struggles against armies far stronger than himself, his survival in a world overrun by bloodthirsty Pokémon, and Alvera's carefree yet perilous adventures. It was just as fascinated by the photos Alex showed from Alvera's gallery on his phone, especially the breathtaking landscapes and incredible sights she had encountered during her adventures. One image in particular made its heart race with excitement. It showed Alvera standing just inches away from Zapdos, a fellow Electric type whose legendary lightning was said to rival its own.
They spent three leisurely days crossing the sea before finally arriving at Aether Paradise.
The artificial island lay in ruins. Unlike the Aether Paradise from Alex's world, this one had never expanded into a massive theme park. Instead, it consisted of only the main island, with a dock to the south, landing pads to the east and west, a mansion to the north, and the shattered remains of a central facility.
Even from a distance, Alex could sense numerous powerful auras. Several belonged to Champion ranked Ultra Beasts while one unmistakably belonged to a Master ranked one. The island sat atop an exceptionally thin dimensional barrier between Alola and Ultra Space, making it the first destination for most Ultra Beasts crossing through the rift before they spread across the region.
Still, that didn't mean there was a permanent Ultra Wormhole connecting the two dimensions. If he wanted to claim an Ultra Wormhole for himself, he'd first have to conquer the island and hold it until one eventually opened.
"Judging by those auras, the team should be able to handle every Ultra Beast here, even if they'll have to work their butts off a little," Alex muttered before deciding to land on the island.
Mantine descended onto the western landing pad, allowing Alex to hop off before he recalled it. Without wasting any time, he released the rest of his Pokémon and began issuing commands.
"Capture the entire island. Get rid of every Pokémon you encounter, but be careful to avoid unnecessary collateral damage. We don't want this place becoming any more of a pile of rubble than it already is. After securing the area, search the island for any useful technology or valuable resources," Alex ordered.
"Gardevoir~" she happily accepted.
The attack team immediately headed out, homing in on the auras scattered throughout the island, while the defense team split up to provide additional rear support. This left Alex alone on the western side. However, he was more than capable of taking care of himself. With Rotom, Aegislash, and Ditto by his side, he was far from defenseless.
Alex also released Zeraora and allowed it to observe the battle.
"Watch, but stay clear of the fighting. You're too weak right now to contribute, but you're fast enough to escape and run back to me if you encounter any danger," Alex warned.
"Zera!" Zeraora shouted before immediately dashing toward the nearest battlefield, leaving a trail of lightning in its wake.
Raticate's team was battling a Stakataka near the main facility, overwhelming it through sheer force. Arcanine and Ceruledge's Heatwave and Bitter Blade tore through its defenses, dealing massive damage while the pair used Protect against the Rock Slide attacks it unleashed.
Near the eastern landing pad, Xurkitree was locked in battle with Lucario's team of Gallade and Lopunny. It bombarded them with Thunderbolts while being relentlessly battered by Dig and Earthquake. Their battle was far more destructive than the others, but it couldn't be helped. Xurkitree was an exceptionally dangerous opponent whenever it went on the offensive.
At the southern end of the island, deep beneath the water, Seismitoad's team of Breloom and Raichu fought against a Guzzlord that attempted to devour the surrounding sea. Fortunately, the Ultra Beast was quickly brought down by a combination of Toxic, Leech Seed, Spore, and Thunder Wave, leaving it unable to continue fighting.
Meanwhile, at the northern end of the island, three Stakataka were battling against Kommo-o, Grim, and Urshifu's teams. Despite one of the Ultra Beasts reaching the Master rank, the battle was heavily one-sided. The Stakataka were simply too slow to keep up with their opponents, especially with the defense team providing constant bombardment from the rear.
It took less than 10 minutes for every visible threat on the island to be defeated. In total, Alex's team had taken down and captured a dozen Ultra Beasts that couldn't fly, including 8 Stakataka, 1 Guzzlord, and 3 Xurkitree. However, after the Master ranked Stakataka near the mansion was defeated, Alex sensed another powerful presence hidden deep within the ruins. It appeared there was still one more Ultra Beast on the island, another Master ranked opponent that had concealed itself underground.
Those capable of using Dig ignored the ruined structures entirely, burrowing straight through the debris and ground until they reached their hidden target. Thunderous explosions and violent earthquakes shook the entire island as Alex watched from the northern side. Moments later, a Master ranked Celesteela erupted from beneath the ruins and shot into the sky like a rocket.
Before it could gain any distance, 8 orange orbs of Aura Sphere chased after it, striking the Ultra Beast midair and sending it crashing into the surrounding waters. The water team immediately pursued, with those capable of using Aura Sphere continuing the assault from the island.
Realizing it couldn't win, Celesteela attempted to flee, but the Crobat couple intercepted it and used Mean Look, preventing its escape. After another barrage of Aura Spheres, the Master ranked Ultra Beast finally lost consciousness and was retrieved, bringing the battle for the Aether Paradise Ruins to an end.
In total, the entire operation lasted only 15 minutes despite the presence of multiple powerful opponents. The combination of Alex's Pokémon's speed, numbers, and overwhelming strength made the difference. Each team moved with tactical precision, carefully chosen pairings, and a level of coordination that turned even battles against Master ranked opponents into easy victories.
"Good job," Alex commended. "Take some time to rest before cleaning up this place. We're not in any rush, but we do need to search for any Master ranked resources."
Zeraora watched the battles with amazement. Every one of Alex's Pokémon was easily stronger than itself, clearly displaying the immense gap in power. The fights were also far more calculated and bloodthirsty than anything it had experienced, with every attack aimed to kill rather than simply knock the opponent out. It showed Zeraora a world of danger and intensity that it could never find in this peaceful environment. More than ever, it was convinced that leaving with Alex had been the right choice.
While Alex's Pokémon rested and satisfied their hunger with some Master ranked meat, he made his way into the mansion and began searching for an office. No doubt Lusamine was the type of person who would work from home just as much as she would from the main facility, so he started checking the rooms until he eventually found a study.
Inside, he found the room in complete disarray. A battle had clearly taken place there, leaving the furniture nearly reduced to splinters, documents scattered across the floor, and a heavily damaged computer sitting against a wall.
"Rotom, see what you can find," Alex said.
Rotom released the portable computer station in a nearby destroyed room with an open ceiling and began scanning the area for usable technology. Using its own electricity to power the damaged devices, it searched through hard drives and CPUs, digging through any remaining data in hopes of uncovering useful information.
It found some research files regarding Ultra Wormholes, Ultra Beasts, and Ultra Space, but nothing that surpassed the public information already available in Alex's original world. Everything was clearly outdated, likely decades behind current knowledge. The only interesting discovery was that the downfall of Aether Paradise had been incredibly sudden, with no clear indication of what had caused its collapse.
"That's a shame," Alex said as he exited the mansion and released his portable home to relax.
He would have to wait here until an Ultra Wormhole appeared before he could proceed, so there was no point in rushing. However, he also had no intention of jumping into the first portal he found blindly. Thanks to the information he had from his original world, he knew how to identify the most promising Ultra Wormholes and maximize his chances of reaching Necrozma.
If everything went according to plan, he would not only have the opportunity to end the Eternal Eclipse but also face a truly powerful Legendary Pokémon at the height of its strength.
"I wonder what kind of battle awaits me," Alex said with bloodthirsty excitement, a sinister smile spreading across his face.