Lusamine couldn't shake her unease knowing that Lillie only had a single Monstie partner. If she could activate that artificial Pokémon, Lillie would finally have some real means of self-defense.
Turning to Bai Chen, Lusamine said, "You're in Alola right now, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Then take Lillie home first. I'll meet you both there." Without another word, she hung up.
As the video cut out, Lusamine gazed at a photo on her desk—a family portrait. Her eyes lingered on a man in the picture: her husband, Mohn, Lillie's father. He had vanished years ago during his research into Ultra Space.
She sighed deeply. Though she trusted Bai Chen's strength, she wasn't about to let Lillie waltz off into a dangerous parallel world so easily.
At least, not until she felt her daughter was ready. "Mohn... I promise I will protect Lillie."
"Lillie," Bai Chen called out to the girl, who looked like she was on the verge of collapsing.
Three consecutive days of high-intensity training were pushing her limits. "Mr. Bai... did I... do something wrong?" she panted, hands on her knees, looking at him nervously.
Bai Chen tossed her a fresh bottle of mineral water. "Replenish your energy. We're heading home."
Lillie uncapped the bottle and downed half of it. "Home?"
"Yes. The President just called. She wants us to meet her back at the house. Apparently, she has something to give you."
"Mother?" Lillie realized she hadn't contacted her mother since returning that morning. "I understand. Let me get ready."
She wiped away her sweat, packed her things quickly, and followed Bai Chen as he teleported them back to their mansion.
"I'm going to take a quick shower first," Lillie said, checking the time. She didn't want to greet her mother smelling like a gym.
"Go ahead."
Bai Chen waited in the living room alone. It had been a while since he'd been here. Lusamine bringing Lillie home... It's probably to give her Mohn's gift, he mused. He remembered a Legendary Pokémon being kept in this house.
Once upon a time, he had been interested in that Pokémon, but the opportunity to claim it never arose. Now, frankly, he wasn't that interested. His sights were set on Unchained-class Elder Dragons or First-tier Legendaries. A standard Legendary no longer gave him the same thrill.
Minutes later, a sleek white jet landed steadily in the courtyard. Lusamine strode into the living room, glancing around. When she didn't see her daughter, she asked where she was.
"Showering."
Lusamine's face curled into a knowing, ambiguous smile. "Ho-ho, a shower? Nothing 'eventful' happened during your vacation, I hope?"
"What could possibly happen?" Bai Chen shot her a flat look. Her playfulness was as irritatingly familiar as ever.
"You know... this, that, or perhaps that sort of thing."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bai Chen countered. "If you brought us back just to gossip, I'll take Lillie back to my island for her training. She hasn't finished her daily regimen yet."
"You're serious?" Lusamine hadn't expected him to be so rigid about it. She'd assumed the "training" was a pretense to humor Lillie.
"I don't joke about training."
Lusamine fell silent for a moment. "So, why the sudden desire to take her to your world? You've described how harsh it is. Lillie has been pampered for years; she won't survive that environment."
"It's complicated. My body had some issues, and we received some... unsettling prophecies." Bai Chen gave her a full account of recent events, including the temporary loss of his powers.
He wasn't worried about Lusamine betraying him; Nergigante and Zinogre were unaffected and more than capable of protecting him. Plus, he had the strongest Order Pokémon in Kalos watching his back from the shadows.
Lusamine's expression darkened as she listened. "A death prophecy? And your body..." She looked at him sternly. "Have you told anyone else about your condition?"
"Only Lillie."
"Good. Don't mention it to anyone else. Act as if it never happened." She was clearly tense, though she didn't know about Squishy's protection.
"Anyway, do you need a check-up? We have the most professional equipment here."
"No need. I know my own status. I'll recover in time."
Lusamine sighed, finally understanding the motivations of both Bai Chen and Lillie. But understanding didn't mean total permission.
"I don't care what tests you've set for her; she has to pass mine too. If I don't deem her fit, she's not going anywhere."
"Fair enough. I'll make sure she's transformed by the time we're done."
Lillie emerged from her shower eventually. "Mother? You're here."
Lusamine put on a rare show of maternal anger. "Of course I am! If I hadn't come, you'd probably have settled down in another world before I even knew you were gone!"
"I'm sorry... I've been so tired lately, I forgot to tell you."
"How long does it take to send a text?" Lusamine chided. "Fine. Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you—provided you pass my test after you finish Bai Chen's. If you're not ready, you're staying here."
"I'll work hard!" Lillie declared.
"Good. Then it's time you received the gift your father left for you."
"A gift from Father?" Lillie still held fond memories of Mohn.
"Follow me."
Lusamine led them into the study and walked over to a bookshelf. To Lillie's surprise, her mother pulled a specific book, triggering the sound of sliding rails. The bookshelf swung open, revealing a hidden staircase leading underground.
Lillie had lived here for a decade and never knew this room existed. Lusamine walked down without a word, stopping before a rustic sandalwood door. She stood there, her hands trembling.
"Mother...?"
Lusamine took a shaky breath. She thought she was prepared, but being back here brought the memories of Mohn being swallowed by Ultra Space flooding back.
Bai Chen remained silent. He knew the truth—Mohn wasn't dead; he was currently in the Galar region. But he couldn't just blurt that out without a reason or a lead.
Lusamine finally pushed the door open. The room was small, perhaps ten square meters, lit by warm lamps.
"Is this Father's study?" Lillie's childhood memories began to flicker back.
"Yes." Lusamine walked to the desk, her eyes full of longing. Everything was exactly as it had been fifteen years ago, even an open notebook on the desk.
She stood for a moment before opening the top right drawer. Inside lay a Z-Ring.
"Lillie." Lusamine took her daughter's hand and placed the ring in her palm. "This was your father's Z-Ring. You should keep it for now."
"Me?" Lillie looked panicked. She didn't feel worthy of using Z-Moves.
"If your father were here, he would do the same. You need the strength to protect what is important to you."
Lillie looked at the red-strapped ring. After a moment of hesitation, she gripped it tight. "I understand. I'll cherish it."
Lusamine then turned to a double-door cabinet at the bottom of the bookshelf. Bai Chen watched intently. Is this where she hands over the Pokémon?
Lusamine opened the cabinet, revealing a mechanical doll. It had a spherical head with a gear-like hat, large disc-like ears, and a lower body shaped like a ball gown with golden wave patterns.
"This is the gift your father left for you."
"Is this... a Pokémon?" Lillie had never seen anything like it.
"Magearna, the Artificial Pokémon," Bai Chen spoke up. "Created by a genius scientist 500 years ago in a distant kingdom. It was born to take care of a princess. Power-wise... It's roughly on par with Articuno."
He checked the panel: Rarity 8, Level 54. Her previous owner clearly hadn't trained her for battle, given her skill proficiencies.
Lusamine was surprised. "You recognized it at a glance?"
"Don't worry about the details," Bai Chen shrugged.
"Your father found her in an antique shop in another region," Lusamine explained. "He bought her for you, hoping she would look after you. Now, I'm giving her to you in his place."
"But Mother... Magearna isn't moving."
"She has been inactive for a long time. Your father did extensive research to wake her up and kept a journal of his progress." She pointed to the open notebook on the desk. "This is part of your test. If you can wake her up, she will be your greatest ally."
Bai Chen smirked internally. Wake her up? Easy. He knew exactly how to do it—he just needed to find Gladion.
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