//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Pokémon: Merging of Worlds 
// by The reluctant fan 
//------------------------------//

The Aether Foundation was an organization dedicated to protecting and housing endangered Pokemon. Primarily located in the Alola region, it was a safe haven for Pokemon and trainers alike. 

However, the Aether Foundation also had another side that very few knew about. within the lowest levels of the artificial island located in between Akala and Ula'ula island, there existed a laboratory. It was here that the foundation's scientists carried out secret experiments ranging from the creation of new Pokeballs, to artificial Pokemon, to interdimensional sciences. 

After the world champion had saved the world from Necrozma, a deity of light gone mad, the president of the Aether Foundation Lusamine had become interested with the alternate realities that lay beyond ultra space. Of course, she knew that travelling through ultra space was fraught with peril, not to mention you needed the assistance of the legendary Pokemon Solgaleo or Lunala to access it. 

This was why she had issued the project that the foundation's scientists were currently working on. Lusamine had hired a visiting scientist named Colress to assist them with her most ambitious project yet: A direct gate between their dimension and another. Now, Lusamine was no fool. She knew that this was a dangerous idea. Despite her immense curiosity, she forced herself to get the go ahead from the world champion. 

Ethan Gold, the savior of the world/universe over half a dozen times over, as well as the first ever world champion, was well known for obvious reasons. Having travelled all over the world and having taken down threat after threat, he was an inspiration to all. Of course, for all of his fame and talent, he was still only a teenager. After winning the first ever world tournament and becoming world champion, he felt he needed a vacation, and set off to Alola for some peace and quiet. 

Of course, trouble always seemed to find the raven haired boy. After beginning the island challenge along with his new friend Hau, a pair of mysterious people who called themselves the Ultra Recon Squad made their aquantaince. If their nearly pure white skin and odd garments didn't give it away, their complete lack of knowledge on how the world worked let Ethan know that something was off about them. It was only after realizing that they were from another dimension did problems begin. 

The Recon Squad had come to their dimension in hopes of finding a way to quell the wrath of Necrozma, a god of light that plagued their dimension. Of course a delusional Lusamine along with the leader of the gang known as Team Skull decided that they could handle it themselves and jumped into ultra space to stop the mad god. Of course they failed, and Ethan had to play clean up. 

After yet another world threatening catastrophe, the young world champ simply wished to spend the rest of his vacation relaxing. As such, when Lusamine, now humbled after her past actions approached him about a project with ultra space, he wanted nothing to do with it. She had stated that Colress was working with her, and Ethan figured that the eccentric genius was competent enough to help her avoid any catastrophe, so he gave the project an O.K.

Ethan was spending the day lounging on the beach where Professor Kukui lived. With a cold glass of Oran berry juice in hand and his team off training against whatever legendary he could get to help them that day, it was looking to be another pleasant day. 

"Ahhh. Man, after seven years of constant action, it feels good to finally have some time to myself. Maybe I should go visit Hau tomorrow, he's seemed pretty busy since he became champion of Alola."

The black haired boy spent a while simply gazing out at the rolling waves of the ocean, watching as the occasional wild Mantine jumped up into the air. His eyes began to close as he dozed off. 

"Yeah, I could sure get used to this..."



Within the laboratory of the Aether Foundation, the first definitive test on the dimensional gate was about to get underway. Scientists tapped away at keyboards and monitored systems as all the failsafes were prepared.

"Colress sir, all preparations are complete. Should we begin the testing?"

A man in a lab coat ticked away at at the device on his arm and hummed in thought. "Everything appears to be in order, yes. Go fetch miss Lusamine and we can begin."

The employee gave a curt nod and walked off. A couple minutes later, he returned with the president in tow. "Everything is ready then? Let's get this underway, I promised Lillie that I would treat her to lunch today, so I can't wait for too long."

"Alright! Project 'Warp' test one is a go!"

Switches were flipped and lights flashed as the machines worked at building enough energy to open a gate. Inside the heavily protected room where the gate was meant to appear, there was a small ripple in the air, and a crack gradually started to form. Colress looked on, his ever present calm smile on his face. Lusamine smirked in anticipation. It was working! the crack widened until the beginnings of the other side began to show. There was a sunny sky, and a couple of birds flew past the point of view.

Colress looked over to the operators. "I believe this is a satisfactory first test. You may begin to shut the gate down."

The employees began to shut the machines down, but the gate still remained active. "S-sir... the gate won't close!"

Colress frowned. "Oh dear. Well this is why we do test runs after all. Whatever may occur, it should remain inside the room."

The gate began to warp as the lack of energy made it unstable. the image if the other world wavered a bit before the gate snapped shut, eliciting a blinding flash. Everyone in the room shielded their eyes as the flash enveloped the room, followed by a wave of force that warped the light around them and knocked people and machinery alike over. When everyone began to get up, the room was a mess. broken computers and wiring were strewn all over, and the protective glass that allowed viewing into the gate containment room was shattered. Luckily no one was hurt, but a small fortune in tech was ruined. Lusamine shakily got to her feet and stared at Colress.

"Colress, what the hell was that?!"

The scientist adjusted his glasses and stared in shock. "That was... unanticipated."



"Ethan. Ethan! Wake up!"

"Gah!" The world champion jolted out of his lounge chair upon hearing the voice in his head. 

"A-Arceus?! What's going on that's so important you had to wake me up?"

"A mysterious energy just burst across the entire planet, and it didn't stop there. It's going across the entire universe. Palkia is tracking it for me and the effects are unsettling. Certain aspects of physics and reality are being warped and changed as it passes. There's also the matter of the new continent that suddenly appeared just now."

Ethan blinked. "Okay, okay. One thing at a time. So you're saying that some crazy energy is changing reality all across the universe, and what's this about another continent?"

"I feel like we need to talk face to face. I am going to warp you to the Hall of Origin now."

Ethan sighed. "Great... there goes the rest of my vacation..."

The teenage champion was then enveloped in a bright white light and flashed out of existence. Right after this, Professor Kukui opened the door to his lab carrying a platter of food. 

"Hey Ethan, lunch is ready! I hope you like... where'd he go?"