Looker was still wearing his signature overcoat and suit, making people wonder if he ever got hot.
Anabel was as crisp and professional as ever, her neatly tied purple hair now a bit messy.
Both looked a mess—as if attacked. Anabel's delicate face was just as smudged as Looker's.
They stared blankly at Lucas for a few seconds, shocked to encounter him here.
Their eyes then landed on Luxray behind Lucas—and lit up.
Great, maybe Lucas had a way to restrain the beast devouring everything in sight!
Given the urgency, they ignored Tapu Fini and Larry, grabbing Lucas's hand.
"Do you have time—help us, please!"
As Interpol agents, Looker and Anabel traveled the world to tackle difficult problems as outsiders.
After their previous big victory capturing Hunter J's team at Glaseado Mountain, Looker continued his senior Interpol duties.
Anabel, after succeeding at several major missions and due to her special identity, had leaped from Looker's subordinate to become the Chief of the Interpol UB Countermeasures Bureau.
On paper, this young, cool-headed woman was now Looker's superior.
Of course, that was just the setup for why they suddenly appeared in Alola.
Walking through the cave, the two took turns explaining.
UBs—short for "Ultra Beast"—were mysterious beings from another dimension, extremely dangerous.
They'd long threatened Alola; the guardian Tapus had protected the islands from their attacks through the ages.
Because of Ultra Beasts, tales of the four Tapu guardians were known throughout Alola.
Ultra Beasts entered via rifts called "Ultra Wormholes," and as they posed a danger to local life, the International Police continually sought to counter them.
By now, Larry had sidled up to Lucas, muttering, "Sounds a lot like those 'Paradox Pokémon,' huh?"
"Not quite, but their savagery is similar," Lucas quietly replied, then kept listening.
Anabel's unique background had made her the perfect fit for UB Chief.
The first time Lucas met her, he'd wondered why she seemed so different from the Anabel he'd seen in recent matches.
The reason was simple:
Anabel wasn't originally from this world.
This world's Anabel was still a Battle Salon Maiden, waiting in the Frontier for a certain boy to reach her.
The Anabel in front of Lucas was one who'd fallen here through an Ultra Wormhole—and lost her memory, just like Mohn.
That meant there were two Anabels in this world: the Battle Queen and the Interpol Agent.
Within Interpol, this was a top-secret matter, revealed now only because they desperately needed Lucas's help.
When they mentioned Ultra Wormholes, Lucas recalled a certain side-story from the Sun & Moon games.
The Zubat and Golbat had made Lucas suspicious, and now the disheveled pair explained further.
"Based on the latest intel, Ultra Wormholes nearly always open in Alola, which is why our headquarters is based here."
"This case was a fluke."
Anabel's eyes were serious as she gazed down the cave's black abyss, her grip on her flashlight unwavering.
"Our HQ detected Ultra Wormhole energy fluctuations on Poni Island. As per protocol, two agents mobilized to return any intruding Ultra Beast before the rift closed."
"The mission was going smoothly—but then disaster struck."
She fell silent, frowning. Looker continued:
"Anabel, having been bathed in the energies of the Ultra Wormhole, became what we call a 'FALL'—someone who would always be targeted by Ultra Beasts."
Interpol had used this "FALL" status to lure and catch many Ultra Beasts before returning them home, though Looker left those operational details unsaid.
"After wrapping up, we were heading back. Suddenly, a new, never-before-seen Ultra Beast—attracted to Anabel—ripped open a wormhole behind us."
Thinking of that encounter, Looker looked even more worried.
"The thing just devoured everything in sight. We tried all our old tricks, but it even swallowed Pokémon moves! We couldn't hold our ground."
"In the end, we escaped, prepping to mount a counterattack from HQ."
"If something else hadn't caught its attention, we might've been running alongside the others who fled just now."
That thought made Anabel anxious.
"There are lots of wild Pokémon in this cave, like those Zubat. If we let the Ultra Beast run riot, the casualties before we get help would be unacceptable."
"So, as Chief, I've authorized emergency protocol—"
"Seeking help from strong trainers."
"Mr. Lucas, Elite Larry, will you assist us?"
They'd explained almost everything.
Even cynical Larry could sum it all up in one sentence.
They just want me and Lucas to play "muscle."
Thinking of fighting something as crazy as a Paradox Pokémon again, Larry's temples started pounding despite his holiday mood.
Is Lucas a catastrophe magnet? Why does crazy stuff always happen nearby him?
Annoying as it was, Larry never said no.
He couldn't bring himself to abandon the wild Pokémon living in the cave.
Even if it meant "overtime."
With Larry onboard, Lucas of course had no objection—especially since Tapu Fini's anxiety was almost tangible.
She couldn't bear to see trouble come to this beautiful Alola.
And anyway, gathering nectar was the whole point—they couldn't just watch disaster unfold.
Lucas had a hunch about this Ultra Beast's identity.
If it really was "that one," it was no surprise Looker and Anabel couldn't handle it.
If he'd faced it with no info and saw even Luxray's attacks get eaten, his first instinct would also have been to run.
But one description made Lucas wonder about one detail: what had distracted the Ultra Beast—enough to beat even "FALL" Anabel?
Curious, Lucas asked, "Is there a specific name for this cave?"
Anabel and Looker exchanged a look. After a moment, Looker answered: "Terminus Cave."
"Locals have called this the Terminus Cave for generations."
They soon reached the spot where Anabel and Looker had faced the Ultra Beast.
There were only battle scars and some chaotically chewed up rocks and earth—nothing more.
If anything tied the scene to the Ultra Beast, it was the strange, floating white net hovering in midair—a portal to who-knows-where.
"This is an Ultra Wormhole..."
Larry, seeing one for the first time, couldn't keep up an adult's poker face.
It really did look like a door to another world.
Looker and Anabel explained that rifts like this could randomly appear throughout Alola, spewing Ultra Beasts at any time.
In some ways, that made them more dangerous than even the Paradox Pokémon locked in Paldea's Great Crater.
After all, Paradox Pokémon escaping the Crater was rare, while Ultra Wormholes opened at random without warning.
Lucas had heard of Ultra Wormholes and even met a Calyrex from the world of Cosmog who described them.
But truthfully, this was his first time seeing one in person.
Staring at the tunnel, he felt a bizarre urge to jump in and see where he'd end up—
But his rational mind quickly stomped out the thought.
Looker stroked his chin beside the still-open Wormhole. "The beast should be mov—"
Before he finished, a deafening roar echoed from the cave depths.
"Graaaaaargh!"
"!!!!"
Anabel's face changed. "That's the one!"
Lucas tensed, his expression turning strange.
No way. That roar—
"Pu-ka-lai!"
Sensing something, Tapu Fini grew anxious and urged Lucas forward.
He reacted immediately, exchanged a look with Luxray, and followed Tapu Fini without hesitation.
Anabel and Looker, one beat behind, glanced at Larry, silently asking why Lucas's Tapu Fini looked different than expected.
Larry shrugged, his face pure deadpan. "Don't ask me, I'm asking you."
Under Tapu Fini's guidance, Lucas and Luxray quickly reached the source of the noise.
This space was wider than before, full of stone pillars.
And rampaging through the cave was a jet-black spherical monster, stomping about on thick legs.
Its body had a huge yellow mouth studded with alternating yellow and black fangs, and from its gaping maw extended two thick, pincer-like tongues, grabbing and devouring everything.
Several pillars were already reduced to rubble.
Above its jaws were two glowing blue eyes, and atop the sphere, another smaller head with even smaller blue eyes—gleaming hungry and greedy.
It was feasting happily.
Lucas, Anabel, Looker, and Larry all had the same thought.
Lucas narrowed his eyes, silently naming the creature in his mind.
Just as he suspected: UB-05 Glutton—the Ultra Beast, Guzzlord.
This was the same monster that, in another world, had turned Hau'oli City into ruins and built the Ultra Ruin.
If Guzzlord kept eating, with no one to stop it, the whole of Poni Island would soon be devastated.
A few panicked Noibat fluttered past, fleeing.
Guzzlord, blissfully devouring pillars, fully ignored the trainers—even Anabel. It just kept scooping up rocks with its huge jaws.
At least, that's how it looked to human eyes.
But Tapu Fini, in her sight, could see something else—now and then, bits of green matter vanished into Guzzlord's mouth as it snatched pillars.
They couldn't let it keep eating!
Though not the official guardian of this territory, Tapu Fini knew if Guzzlord went on like this, disaster would result.
Her other self had probably already sensed something and was rushing over.
For now, she had to assist Lucas, hold Guzzlord off, maybe even drive it back through the wormhole!