The storm had passed.
Under the dim light, Lusamine lay exhausted against Damian. Her golden hair stuck to her forehead, and her bare back was exposed to the air.
"Whew... You really don't know when to stop. Was that necessary?"
After resting for a long time, Lusamine finally recovered. She couldn't help but lightly punch Damian.
She really felt like she had almost fainted just now. Seriously!
"We haven't seen each other for so long. And you're even more beautiful than before," Damian laughed softly.
"You only know how to flatter me." Lusamine gave Damian a playful look.
Although their relationship had been complicated at the beginning, in the current situation, Lusamine truly felt that following Damian was the right choice.
He didn't just fulfill her long-held wish and help her get Nihilego and other Ultra Beasts. Gladion had also grown perfectly now.
Not to mention, she had now become the President of the Alola League. She stood at the top of the Alola region.
As a woman in such a position, who wouldn't respectfully call her "President Lusamine" when they saw her now?
Her life had changed completely.
But...
"Damian, what is going on between you and Lillie?"
Lusamine looked up at Damian. Her face was serious right now.
"What else could it be? You can't possibly not understand that girl's feelings."
Damian shrugged.
"Then what should we do? You and me..."
Lusamine's brow furrowed tightly. She couldn't help but feel that the situation was absurd.
"Let things happen naturally. No one can predict feelings."
"..."
Lusamine looked at Damian's attitude and felt helpless. But just as Damian said, no one could predict feelings.
"By the way, I found that Ultra Recon Squad you asked me to watch out for." Lusamine brought up official business.
"Have you contacted them?"
"Yes, I communicated and exchanged ideas with them personally. I made a deal with them. They can study Alola's aura as much as they want. In exchange, they provide us with Space Ride technology so our people can enter Ultra Space."
Lusamine nodded.
Damian nodded. Actually, in the game's story, the Ultra Recon Squad cooperated with the Aether Foundation from the beginning. However, they were being used by Lusamine.
"Keep them close for now. The Ultra Recon Squad has very advanced technology. They are very valuable to us."
The Ultra Megalopolis world was a highly advanced world. That world was very unfamiliar with things like Pokémon and Poké Balls.
But for a technological world that could even perform Space Rides, their technology was clearly impressive.
Most of Ultra Space was actually like this. It was just like the Ultra Ruin world where Guzzlord lived.
Because their world was almost entirely swallowed by Guzzlord, the people of that world had immigrated to other worlds long ago. Their technology was also very advanced.
Back then, the people of Ultra Megalopolis were able to betray Necrozma and seal it precisely because they relied on high technology.
Therefore, the advanced technology of Ultra Megalopolis was still worth researching.
"Also, Damian, a Nihilego has mutated."
Lusamine brought up another matter.
"A mutation?"
"That's right. That's the best way to describe it. That Nihilego parasitized a Lycanroc at the time. Then, its appearance changed drastically."
"Its size increased, its body color turned black, and its appearance became strange and frightening. However, its strength increased significantly."
Lusamine picked up her phone. On it was a picture of a black Nihilego.
Damian took a look and then raised his eyebrows.
It was a giant black Nihilego. But in reality, the difference between it and a normal Nihilego was very large.
Or rather, they looked like two completely different species.
Nihilego was a milky-white, jellyfish-like Pokémon. Its appearance wasn't terrifying. It only seemed a bit eerie because its tentacles swayed unconsciously like the movements of a young girl.
Based on appearance alone, Nihilego was actually quite normal.
But this black Nihilego was different. Its appearance was still roughly like a jellyfish. However, the giant black umbrella cap was translucent. The eight tentacles extending from below were huge.
Furthermore, at the end of those eight tentacles, a slit had opened on each one. A strange and frightening eye opened inside.
That's right. Eyes had grown on the tentacles of this black Nihilego. And they were on all eight tentacles. A total of eight eyes!
This kind of strange and horrifying appearance...
Was this still a Pokémon? Where had he ended up?
But actually, a Nihilego in this form really did appear in the original story.
In the games, it appeared in Sun and Moon. It was a new form that appeared when Nihilego parasitized Lusamine.
However, in the games, this form of Nihilego would not participate in battle. Instead, one would have a Pokémon battle with the parasitized Lusamine.
In the anime, this form of Lusamine would participate in battle personally. Finally, she was defeated by Ash with the help of Solgaleo.
"This is interesting."
Damian laughed softly. Actually, under normal circumstances, Nihilego's parasitism would not cause such a strange change.
This could be called an extremely rare parasitic mutation.
"Where is this Nihilego now?"
"I have it isolated. Its personality has become very fierce and aggressive."
"Alright. Take me to see it tomorrow."
Damian nodded. He was slightly interested in this Nihilego that had changed through parasitism.
And then...
"Don't do it again. I really can't take it. What if I can't get up tomorrow?"
Lusamine felt Damian's reaction. Her tone was a bit panicked.
She had just drunk a lot of water to catch her breath. If it continued, she was really afraid she would faint.
"It's fine. There's nothing big to deal with tomorrow anyway."
"You... mmm..."
Inside the dim room, their voices sounded again.
On the other side.
"Where on earth did Damian go?"
Lillie sat on a bench in the backyard. She watched Platinum and Gladion doing special training battles. She couldn't help feeling disappointed.
She had finally gathered the courage to confess to Damian, but now she couldn't find him.
Beep, beep.
Her phone suddenly rang. Lillie picked it up to look.
"Lillie, I have some good news for you. During the Manalo Conference, my boyfriend and my uncle will both come to cheer for me. I'll introduce them to you then. (Expectant.jpg)"
"That's great."
Lillie forced a smile and replied with those three words. She couldn't help but feel anxious.
She had to confess to Damian before then!
After all, right now she could still pretend she didn't know Damian was Selene's boyfriend. But once Selene introduced them, it would be truly inappropriate for her to approach her best friend's boyfriend.
Lillie, you really are awful!
Lillie bit her lip tightly. But she was also doing this for her own happiness. Selene, you should forgive me, right?
Time reached the next day.
When Damian woke up and came to the living room, Lillie was already sitting on the sofa. Right now, she was holding her phone and doing something on it.
"Damian, you're awake?"
Seeing Damian walk over, Lillie immediately stood up in surprise.
"Ah~ where are the others?"
Damian stretched. Jirachi, sitting on Damian's shoulder, was still nodding its head. It seemed like it was still dozing off.
"Caitlin and Platinum went to the backyard for special training. My brother went out. My mother didn't seem to sleep well last night. She is still catching up on her sleep now."
As she spoke, Lillie tilted her head in confusion. Usually, Lusamine's routine was very fixed.
But today, she had actually slept until 10:30 and still hadn't woken up. It was very strange.
However, Lillie didn't think much about it. After all, Lusamine was usually very busy with work. It was a good thing for her to rest a bit more today.
"I see. Alright then."
Damian nodded.
"Damian, please eat something first. I'll go heat it up for you."
"Thanks, Lillie."
"It's no trouble at all. If it's for Damian, I..."
Lillie smiled shyly. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she didn't say it because she was too embarrassed. Lillie jogged into the kitchen.
Damian smiled when he saw this. The way Lillie lowered her head and blushed just now was hard to forget.
No wonder people said a girl's blush was the most charming thing.
A glass of milk and a piece of bread. Since it was already late and lunch wasn't far off, Lillie didn't prepare much for Damian.
After eating a little bit, Damian and Lillie went outside the villa.
"How long will you stay in the Alola region this time?"
Lillie held her sun hat. She walked beside Damian with her hands behind her back. She asked Damian in a clear voice.
"Until the Alola League ends. Because a very important person will participate. I have been waiting for this day."
Damian said with a smile.
"Oh..."
That very important person was undoubtedly Selene.
Lillie pursed her lips. She couldn't help but feel envious. Selene was truly... so lucky.
Lillie lowered her head in disappointment. Yes, she actually really envied Selene.
Selene had such great talent. Everyone liked Selene so much. Even her mother, Lusamine, had never held back her praise for Selene.
There was also Professor Kukui and the others. They all had great expectations for Selene's future.
And what about herself? Besides being the daughter of the Aether Foundation's president, she had nothing worth showing off, right?
She wasn't a Trainer, and she didn't have any talent.
"Of course, to me, Lillie is also a very important person. So when I came to Aether Paradise, I was actually very happy."
As if sensing the bitterness in Lillie's heart, Damian stopped walking. He looked down at Lillie and spoke with a gentle smile.
"Eh?" Lillie was stunned upon hearing this.
Immediately, her face turned red.
"Damian... you're so unfair. You're always saying things like 'cute'..."
Lillie stammered.
"Because Lillie really is very cute." Damian tilted his head slightly.
"Um..."
Lillie's face was incredibly red, but her heart was filled with joy she could not hold back. Hearing that from the person she liked made her very happy.
But now... this was a good opportunity, right?!
"Damian!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
Lillie clenched her hands in front of her chest. She felt conflicted, but thinking of her best friend Selene, she finally gathered her courage.
She had really waited for a long time for an opportunity like this.
"I... I really like Damian!"
Lillie looked up. Her eyes stared firmly into Damian's eyes.
"When I was in my most difficult time, it was Damian who helped and comforted me. Since that time, Damian has been a very important person to me!"
"When I am with Damian, I am very happy. I have always... always liked Damian the most!"
Lillie's confession wasn't loud, but it was clear and firm.
Damian looked at Lillie's face and then smiled.
"So that's how you feel..."
"Yes... Yes! I really like you, Damian. If... if..."
Lillie's gaze right now was cautious and full of hope as she waited for Damian's answer.
"Actually, I also like Lillie very much. Because Lillie is truly very cute. If I could be together with Lillie, I would certainly be very happy in the future."
"Then..."
Lillie was surprised and happy to hear this.
"But, Lillie, do you know? I have a girlfriend." Damian added another sentence.
Lillie's face suddenly turned a bit pale. She thought Damian was going to reject her.
"I... I know that. I don't mind!"
Lillie bit her lip and replied like that. Because she knew she was the one coming between them.
She had also never thought that after confessing to Damian, Damian would abandon Selene for her. That was definitely not the result Lillie wanted.
"Lillie, I don't want to deceive you. I am not as perfect as you imagine."
Damian placed his hands gently on Lillie's shoulders. He spoke to Lillie seriously.
"What I must tell you is that if you are with me, in the future, you and Selene might not be the only ones by my side. Can you... accept that too?"
What did that mean?
Lillie's eyes widened slightly. She wasn't stupid. She knew Damian meant that the person he wanted to marry in the future wasn't just her and Selene, but would also include other girls.
"This..."
Lillie's thoughts became a bit chaotic. True, she had only thought about secretly liking Damian and feeling sorry to Selene.
Therefore, she hadn't thought about this point. She actually wasn't the only one trying to take Damian from Selene!
With Damian's charm, there must be many girls who liked Damian.
"Then Damian, your current girlfriends... how many are there?"
For some reason, Lillie suddenly asked that question.
"As for girlfriends, there is only one."
Damian answered very honestly. There truly was only one girlfriend. As for the women he had other relationships with... those didn't count as girlfriends.
Lillie breathed a soft sigh of relief.
"Then Damian, are you willing to date me and become my boyfriend?"
Lillie looked at Damian expectantly. Really, hearing Damian's words just now, she wasn't disappointed. Instead, she felt relieved.
Selene, anyway, Damian won't only marry you. Then it doesn't matter if there's one more of me, right?
Yes, Lillie's guilt toward her best friend became much lighter.
How should she put it?
Good things should be shared with close friends! If Selene was going to share him with other women, it would be better to share him with her best friend.
At least I will definitely support you, Selene, and help you keep your place beside him, right?