Following their introduction, Dr. Mari escorted Jason, Korrina, Ren, and Audino through a final security checkpoint and out a large, nearly 30-centimeter-thick bulkhead. What awaited them on the opposite side was a vast enclosure that felt like stepping onto the field of a grand stadium. Instead of a flat stretch of turf, however, there were neatly paved white walkways, artificial hills, and gentle slopes that led up to elevated venues or curved down into lower sections of the facility's multi-level structure—separating it into a spacious aviary for Flying-types, a surface level with four distinct biomes, and a subterranean level for species that thrived in cool, low-light environments. It reminded Jason of a zoo, but it was far more advanced and carefully maintained, teeming with mostly tropical flora, transplanted trees, carefully crafted rock formations, artificial lakes and streams, a large waterfall, and an impressive assortment of Pokémon.
"Well, what do the five of you think~?" asked Dr. Mari, beaming proudly as she chimed, "This is the pride and joy of the Aether Foundation, our state-of-the-art conservation area. We're currently caring for 138 different kinds of Pokémon, and we're actively engaged in the breeding of forty-four rare or critically endangered species."
"Critically endangered species...?" repeated Jason, his curiosity piqued. He had only read up on a little more than a hundred different species of Pokémon thus far, so there was still a great deal he didn't know.
"Please, allow me...!" interjected Rotom, zipping in from out of nowhere.
"Were you able to get your software upgraded...?" asked Jason, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. That was the excuse Wicke had provided to take Rotom away, but he couldn't help having doubts, as it didn't make sense for Lusamine to send him a phone that required an upgrade the day he had received it.
"I was!" responded Rotom, spinning happily before appending, "I've also spent the past thirty-seven minutes flying around and cataloguing each of the Pokémon in the conservation area! If you have any questions, you can count on me~!"
"Then, why don't you tell Jason and Korrina about our founder while we move to the central observation tower...?" suggested Dr. Mari, gesturing with her left hand down a tree-lined path that curved to the left.
"Why, I would be honored!" responded Rotom, turning its body flat and producing a holographic image of a somewhat gruff-looking, mustachioed man with curly blonde hair and paradoxically sharp but gentle blue eyes, explaining, "This is Professor Jonathan Lumos Argyle, First President and Founder of the Aether Foundation. Though back in his day, the foundation didn't yet have a name. Instead, he and a few like-minded people worked tirelessly to prevent the extinction of critically endangered Pokémon such as Lapras and Corsola. It's thanks to their dedication that Lapras are now quite common in the Alola region and illegal to hunt elsewhere~!"
"He sounds like an incredible person..." remarked Jason, offering a curt nod.
Offering a nod of her own, Korrina affirmed, "I remember learning about him when I was younger. His actions, along with those of his colleagues, helped pioneer conservation efforts worldwide, not just in regions under League influence. They served as the inspiration for groups such as the Pokémon Rangers and the IPPF, the International Pokémon Preservation Force."
"As expected of a Gym Leader. You're well informed~" hummed Dr. Mari, guiding the group over a gently arching bridge and toward a small island where a rotund, slant-eyed bear-looking Pokémon, a Snorlax, basked with several others using its soft and pliant body as a pillow. More pertinently, the center of the island was dominated by a circular platform and a tower with a triangular base, within which was an elevator that led to one of two observation decks. The topmost was dome-shaped, blanketed with grass, and, most notably, served as the nesting site of a colossal, feather-maned Pokémon that resembled an eagle but with a burgundy overcoat and dark blue feathers lining its underbelly.
"Rena...!" exclaimed Ren, breaking away from Jason and leaping over the walkway's railing and running on all fours over to the Snorlax and his nap companions, a spheroidal, electric yellow Pokémon with plug-like prongs on its head, what appeared to be a dark-skinned toddler with inordinately fluffy, off-white, mane-like fur, and a stuffed bear with distinctive pink fur, white markings, brown limbs, ribbon-like ears, a rounded tail, and a white tag on its butt.
"Ren! You shouldn't run off on your own!" shouted Jason, rushing to and grabbing the railing, but resisting the urge to leap over as, despite being famed for its docile nature, the sleeping Snorlax was essentially an obese bear. It had white, sharp-looking claws that were individually longer than his hand, and though it was lying down, its rounded stomach was girthier than he was tall.
Hearing Jason's shout, Ren slid to a stop and looked back at him with a confused, slightly pleading expression. She very clearly wanted to play, but since the Pokémon within the conservation area were technically still wild, Jason couldn't help but worry.
"It's understandable that you would worry about your partner, but while they might be wild, the Pokémon here are well-fed and understand this isn't a place they should fight~" chimed Dr. Mari, seeing through Jason's concerns and modeling an untroubled smile that suggested a high degree of confidence in her assertion.
Though he didn't doubt Dr. Mari's words, Jason instinctively shifted his gaze to Korrina, prompting her to smile, nod, and assert, "She'll be fine. You saw for yourself how tough she was when she battled Miltank. She might get into a scuffle or two, but it's rare for Pokémon to battle to the death within conservation areas. They have no resources or territory to fight over."
"Alright, then..." responded Jason, still feeling uncertain but shifting his gaze to the expectant Ren, supplying her a curt nod, and stating, "Have fun, but don't go picking fights. And if you get hungry, come and search for us immediately..."
"Ren~!"
With Jason's permission secured, Ren ran over to the group of Pokémon, who, in response to the commotion, naturally awoke to see what the fuss was about. The Snorlax continued to sleep, but its pint-sized companions gathered next to it, led by the spheroidal, black-striped Pokémon sporting a lightning bolt pattern on its chest, a Pokémon Jason recognized from his previous world as an Elekid. The others were an uncannily human-looking Whimsicott and a Stufful—the pre-evolution of the Bewear that had given him and Korrina a scare.
"Ele! Elekid...!" shouted the Elekid, stepping forward, making a cutting gesture with its left hand, and producing sparks of bright gold electricity between its plug-like antennae, producing a pungent smell of ionization that spread through the area.
"Rena...?"
Stopping short of the group, Ren tilted her head confusedly while Jason, gripping the railing, observed the interaction with a layer of perspiration developing across his body.
Just as Jason was beginning to regret giving Ren permission to join and play with the similarly sized Pokémon, the Stufful stepped forward on all fours, stood on its hind legs, and promptly smacked the Elekid in the back of its head. Its small size and cute appearance made it seem weak, but as a result of the Stufful's smack, the stunned Elekid was sent rolling forward uncontrollably, forcing Ren to spring out of the way before it plunged into the artificial stream encircling the island.
"Bawaaaaaaaa~" chimed the Stufful, raising and waving its hands in what looked like a friendly gesture but was in fact a display of aggression. With the Normal and Fighting typings, it was naturally driven to challenge other Fighting types. Ren possessed the same instinct, so with her tail wagging behind her, she dropped to all fours and pounced forward.
"Is this going to cause a problem...?" asked Jason, directing the question to Dr. Mari but keeping his concerned gaze fixed on the impromptu battle for supremacy.
Shaking her head, Dr. Mari calmly affirmed, "You didn't give the order for her to attack, and as far as I'm aware, you have no intention of trying to capture and make the Stufful your own. This is simply two Fighting-types obeying their instincts. If we intervened, it could make it more difficult for the Stufful to acclimate to living in the wild once it is released."
"Right..." muttered Jason, his knuckles whitening as he resisted the urge to give Ren orders. He didn't know how old the Stufful was, but with Ren having hatched three days prior, he couldn't help feeling that she was at an unfair disadvantage. At least, that's how things started, with the Stufful tanking her attacks and countering with swipes that sent her stumbling or rolling across the grass.
"That's Payback..." remarked Korrina, positioning herself beside Jason with their shoulders touching as she explained, "By allowing itself to be attacked first, the Stufful is able to deal back a blow twice as powerful for a brief window..."
Though his ears picked up Korrina's words, Jason didn't respond as he watched Ren employ the strategy they had utilized in her battle against Miltank, her red eyes glowing a ghostly shade of blue as she used Detect in concert with Quick Attack to read and avoid the Stufful's counters. The problem was that her attacks didn't seem to do any damage, causing the Stufful to stumble a bit but failing to pierce its fluffy, deceptively durable defenses.
'This makes absolutely no sense...' thought Jason, his brows furrowing as Ren's mass, combined with her speed, should have given her Quick Attack substantial force. She weighed more than forty kilograms and could move as fast as an accelerating car, yet, when she collided with the Stufful, she bounced off of it as if its body were made of rubber.
bzztbzzt
Having pulled itself from the stream, the Elekid garnered the gazes of Jason, Korrina, Audino, and Dr. Mari as it began to produce bright yellow sparks between its antennae. Fortunately, its vengeful discharge wasn't aimed at Ren. Instead, following a flash of yellow light and a high-pitched whirring akin to a saw blade cutting through wood, the Stufful, with black smoke rising from its body, was sent crashing into the side of the sleeping Snorlax.
'How the hell is anything supposed to dodge that...?' Jason asked himself, frowning deeply as he shielded Korrina with his back and body, surprising her greatly. He knew that Electric-type Pokémon were used to generate functional electricity, but he expected their attacks to be slower or, at the very least, reactable. Instead, the moment the Elekid discharged what he assumed was a Thunderbolt or Shock, the Stufful was sent flying with no time to evade.
"Oh, my...you two are very close, I see~" hummed Dr. Mari, covering her mouth and giggling amusedly, seemingly unbothered by the violent electrical discharge that had occurred less than ten meters from their position. About a dozen white-dressed employees of the Aether Foundation began to trickle over, drawn to the sounds of battle and flashing lights, but like Dr. Mari, none seemed particularly concerned.
'It's like they're not afraid of electricity...' noted Jason, releasing his hold on Korrina, who was modeling an uncharacteristic blush as what he had done could be construed as a public display of affection. This left Jason feeling at an even greater loss, but his focus was promptly drawn back to the island as Ren shouted, "Renaaaaa...!" while charging on all fours at the prone Elekid.
sploosh
Though Riolu were famously bad swimmers due to their bone and muscle density, Ren didn't hesitate to collide head-first into the stupefied Elekid, sending them both crashing into the stream. Jason immediately felt panic, but as his brain was still processing the situation, Korrina took immediate action, leaping over the railing and diving into the stream despite the very real danger of being electrocuted. At the same time, Dr. Mari took control of the situation, calmly ordering two employees to fetch medical supplies and others to prevent nearby Pokémon from wandering over. Then, with a hand on Jason's shoulder, she assured him everything would be okay with a smile that, after the fiasco he had witnessed, felt tinged with insincerity even though she was being completely genuine. She and everyone else in the Pokémon world simply didn't think the same way he did—a reality that felt increasingly hard to swallow as Jason witnessed Rotom excitedly photographing the scene and the general calm of everyone but himself...
...
..
.