"Looks like the noise brought them over too."
Damian glanced up at the two Pokémon flying toward them and smiled, not surprised in the slightest.
Caitlin walked over at a measured pace, spotting the two Pokémon hovering above as well.
"Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu?"
Caitlin stared at the two Guardian Deities—the guardian of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko, and the guardian of Ula'ula Island, Tapu Bulu.
Right now, both guardians were focused on Lunala. They had sensed Lunala's arrival in this world and rushed over to offer their congratulations.
And while they were at it…
Tapu Koko shot a look at Tapu Fini. As the guardian of Poni Island, this altar was technically under Tapu Fini's watch.
Tapu Koko was glad Lunala had appeared, but it was also irritated that Tapu Fini hadn't notified the others.
They were all Guardian Deities and technically equal in status, but as the strongest among them, Tapu Koko was basically the unspoken leader of the group.
After a brief, affectionate moment with Lillie, Lunala turned its head and floated upward. Its majestic gaze settled on the four guardians, making it clear they could leave now.
All four guardians dipped their heads slightly in submission. Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu began to back away, preparing to depart.
But—
When Tapu Koko saw Damian and Caitlin pull out Poké Balls and recall Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele, its mind completely short-circuited.
"???"
It was like three huge question marks popped up over Tapu Koko's head. Wait… when did Fini and Lele get caught?
How did I not know about this?
Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu exchanged a glance and saw the same confusion—pure disbelief—in each other's eyes.
Even so, Lunala had told them to leave, so this clearly wasn't the time to start asking questions.
Tapu Koko couldn't make sense of it. After a moment, it decided to wait nearby for a while. They were Guardian Deities of the islands—had Fini and Lele really thrown away their guardian pride?
It had to get a straight answer!
Damian, of course, had no idea what was going through Tapu Koko's mind. Right now, he was the one feeling a bit of regret. It wasn't often Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu showed up together like this.
Still, it wouldn't have been right to try and capture two more guardians in front of Lunala while they were here to celebrate its arrival.
And even though it had just evolved, Lunala's power was obviously massive. The Altar of the Moone had poured a staggering amount of energy into it.
After watching Koko and Bulu leave, Lunala drifted down in front of Damian. Its eyes—like deep-red gems—looked just as striking and moving as ever.
"Congrats on evolving, Lunala." Damian smiled as he offered his congratulations.
Lunala… so that's this Pokémon's name?
Caitlin watched with curiosity, carefully taking in the magnificent "giant bat" from this close.
No matter how she looked at it, this Pokémon named Lunala felt overwhelmingly powerful!
The mental pressure it gave off was like nothing she'd felt before. Even Cynthia's ace, Garchomp, had never made her feel quite like this.
This Lunala is terrifyingly strong!!
A faint warmth showed in Lunala's eyes as it lowered its head toward Damian.
It still remembered Damian—the human who had treated it gently.
"You got huge, and you're still a spoiled kid."
Damian's lips curled slightly. He reached out and lightly stroked Lunala's face, and the Pokémon narrowed its eyes in contentment.
As expected, it still had its memories from when it was "Nebby." Those memories were clear; evolution had made it more mature, but it hadn't erased that youthful innocence.
And that was for the best.
Damian looked at Lunala right in front of him, and his heart couldn't help but stir. This was the legendary "Beast That Calls the Moon," Lunala!
It was one of the box art legendaries from the Sun and Moon era—a Pokémon that stood at the absolute top of the Pokémon world.
"Want some?" After a short pause, Damian pulled out a piece of candy and asked with a grin.
Lunala tilted its head slightly.
Damian unwrapped the candy and fed it to Lunala. The Pokémon's gem-like eyes curved into happy crescents.
"So cute~" Caitlin's eyes brightened. Seeing Lunala act so sweetly—so differently from its noble, magnificent appearance—made the contrast almost unfairly adorable.
After finishing the candy, Lunala drew back and slowly rose into the air.
"Nebby?"
Lillie ran over, looking up at Lunala in the sky.
Lunala looked down, letting out a low, gentle call—smooth and magnetic.
"It says it has to go find its companion first," Damian said, translating. "Its companion has been waiting for it to return."
The "companion" Lunala meant was obviously Solgaleo.
"Nebby… is leaving…?" Lillie bit her lip. She knew she should be happy for it, but she still felt a deep sense of loss.
I will return.
A refined, mature female voice suddenly echoed in the ears of the three through telepathy.
"Telepathy?" Caitlin flinched, then quickly realized Lunala was speaking directly into their minds.
"Nebby?" Lillie immediately looked up at Lunala. Her instincts told her this was its voice.
Lillie and Damian are also my companions. Once I find him, I will come back, Lunala spoke softly.
"Yes! Nebby, you will always be my partner too!" Lillie said, fighting back the sting in her eyes.
"We'll meet again," Damian said with a smile.
If you ever need my help, just play the melody from today. I will hear it.
The Sun Flute and the Moon Flute flickered with blue light, reappearing in front of the two girls.
"Goodbye, Lillie. Goodbye, Damian."
A white Ultra Wormhole opened above Lunala, and its silhouette flew into it and vanished.
The white wormhole slowly faded, and the night sky returned to its quiet, tranquil state.
"It's gone…"
Lillie stared up at the deep crescent moon, her heart tangled with a complicated mix of emotions.
"Don't worry. Lunala said it—it'll come back."
Damian comforted Lillie. Truthfully, he also felt a bit of regret; he really wanted to capture Lunala.
But Lunala's strength was clearly on another level. Even if it was willing to give him a chance to challenge it, the odds of defeating and capturing it were very low.
Still, he had kept an excellent relationship with Lunala. There would be opportunities later.
And besides…
Damian thought of the message Giovanni had sent him. It was also about to awaken!
Once he wrapped things up here in Alola, he would head back to Kanto. Even if it hadn't fully "awakened" yet, its strength was bound to be extremely formidable.
As long as he could convince it to join him, he would truly have a powerful ace in his hand.