Of course, nobody should be the least bit surprised that we’re here to kick some Aether Foundation butt. Gladion’s stylish speedboat will take you towards the south-eastern side of the docks. If you ever need to leave, you can speak to the friendly Aether employee standing to the right of the boat to return to Malie City.

To begin with, you’ll need to make your way to the elevator shaft towards the north of the docks. From where you disembarked, head west. At the first corner, there’s one of many Aether Foundation employees searching for intruders like yourself. It’s actually possible to avoid all the employees if you’re smart.

The first employee walks up and down, and sneakily turns around while he’s halfway walking up. You can wait for him to walk all the way up, then go around the corner and hide towards the right. After that, wait until he starts walking back down, before running past him.

Aether Foundation Employee¶

Alola’s Dugtrio is weak to Fire, Water, Fighting and Ground. This one has various Ground-type moves to attack with, but no Steel-type moves. Meanwhile Toucannon, evolved from Pikipek and Trumbeak, is weak to Electric, Ice and Rock. The one here has Drill Peck for STAB damage and Bullet Seed to annoy Rock-types.

To the north, a second employee is patrolling around a pair of large white crates, with a crate-size gap between them. She walks slowly in an anti-clockwise direction and stops to look around at various points. In particular, she’ll suddenly turn behind when traveling from the left box to the right box.

The safest time to get moving is when she’s walking between the right side of the right crate and the top of the left crate. During this time, you can wait along the south, then run between the two crates after she goes around the corner.

Aether Foundation Employee¶

Two Normal-types to contend with. The shape-shifting Kecleon changes Type depending on the move it’s hit with. For attacks, it has Slash for STAB and Shadow Claw to try and scratch Ghosts. Stoutland is the same as the Ride Pokémon. It can use Work Up to boost its Attack or Retaliate to get revenge for Kecleon.

North from here is a narrow corridor lined with crates, where an employee is patrolling up and down. She will walk between the entrance and the exit of the corridor in a slightly diagonal path, and suddenly turn around as she begins to walk north from the entrance. Although her patrol path seems airtight, it’s anything but that.

When she’s between the halfway point (after she suddenly turns around) and the top of her path, simply run north, while hugging the crates to the east. You can go as far as the north-east corner before she can see you. After she starts moving back down, that’s your cue to head west, allowing you to slip behind her.

Aether Foundation Employee¶

Her Arbok only has Acid Spray and the Ground-type Mud Bomb for attacks. The former greatly lowers Special Defense, while the latter may reduce Accuracy. Meanwhile her Lurantis is better equipped with Leaf Blade and Slash for inflicting physical damage, and Synthesis for healing.

Past the corridor of crates, the elevator shaft can be found directly west. When you’re ready to head upstairs, approach the elevator where Gladion and Hau are waiting. Before that though, since you’re here, you should explore the rest of the docks. To the north of the elevator is an employee patrolling left and right.

It’s not quite clear what exactly it is he’s guarding. Perhaps the Rare Candy you pilferred during your earlier trip?

Aether Foundation Employee¶

Parasect has almost too many weaknesses to count. This parasite is weak to Rock, Ice, Bug and Poison, and has two double weaknesses: Fire and Flying. To make up for this, it has access to Spore, a 100% accurate sleep move. It doesn’t work on Grass-type Pokémon though.

Drifblim is slightly better off. This ghastly balloon is weak to Electric, Rock, Ice, Ghost and Dark. The one you fight can only use Shadow Ball and Hex, so Normal-types will stop it straight in its tracks. Finally Sudowoodo can use Counter to wreck physical attackers.

Next, head south-west from the elevator shaft, towards the opposite end of the docks. Around here are more large crates and another patrolling employee. This guy walks anti-clockwise along his square-like patrol path. He will suddenly turn around near the left side of a crate and halfway along the eastern part of his path.

The best opportunity to sneak past is after he’s started walking away from the north-east corner of his path and before he reaches the south-west corner. During this window of time, you can run south while keeping to the east.

Aether Foundation Employee¶

This employee only has one Pokémon, but it’s important that you don’t drop your guard. This mighty ape has Close Combat for incredible STAB damage, plus Assurance to harm Ghost and Psychic-types. Thankfully it has poor durability, so if your Pokémon are fast enough or can survive a hit, it should be an easy win.

After going around the corner, pick up the X Sp. Atk between two lines of crates. From here, there’s only one more employee to sneak past, although he–or she–is a tricky one. This helmeted employee is standing in the very center of the next corner to the west, while rapidly looking from top to bottom.

The easiest way to get past is to carefully align yourself so you’re standing almost exactly below the edge of the westernmost crate. This should cause the camera to zoom out slightly when the employee’s gaze is on you, but not close enough to trigger a battle. As the camera pulls out, observe the employee’s stance.

After the employee suddenly swings their body to look north, immediately run west while hugging the south as close as possible. If done quickly enough, you should be able to get past before the employee looks in the other direction.

Aether Foundation Employee¶

This fully evolved Growlithe boasts exceptionally well-rounded stats. The one here has the Intimidate Ability to lower Attack, Fire Fang to deal okay STAB damage and potentially cause flinch, and Extreme Speed to nearly always go first. On top of this, the employee can use an X Attack to boost its Attack.

Finally, waiting in the far south-west corner is TM06 Toxic. This fiendish move inflicts deadly poison, which gets worse and worse as the battle goes on. If successfully used on a Pokémon that’s not immune to poison and cannot cure its status, victory is basically guaranteed. Providing your Pokémon can survive.

Having seen everything the docks has to offer, hop aboard the elevator towards the north to leave to the next area.

You’ll arrive at the main entrance on the ground floor, where Faba is waiting to greet you–with a Pokémon battle no less.

Aether Branch Chief Faba¶

Hypno is an evolved Drowzee that excels in the Special Defense department. Faba’s Hypno has Hypnosis to try and send your Pokémon to sleep, whereupon it’ll unleash a Nightmare to gradually drain HP. If your Pokémon succumb to sleep, cure them ASAP. It also has Psychic as a relatively strong STAB move.

Teach Faba you’re not to be messed with and he’ll grant you access to the lab area. If you’re ready, Gladion will take you straight there. Otherwise, you can wander around the entrance, even though there’s not much to do right now.