Actually it’s not even a theory just something I thought would be on with Team Skull and Aether Foundation

Spoilers about Cloud Atlas, the novel only, especially the Sonmi arc ‘Orison of Sonmi-451’.

Considering the fact that Aether Foundation takes in Pokemon because of Team Skull, my current theory is that Team Skull and Aether Foundation have a dynamic similar to Nea So Copros and the Union in Cloud Atlas.

Team Skull, like the Union, draws in people who may cause trouble, and creates the antagonist role where Aether Foundation, like Nea So Copros, can feed on the social mishaps from Team Skull and place themselves at a higher moral pedestal, therefore being able to take in more Pokemon for their own goals.

Team Skull and Aether Foundation may seem to be enemies, but my thought is that Aether directly created Team Skull and they are actually the same group of people.

Gladion, in this case, is a parallel to Hae-Joo Im in Cloud Atlas, where he acts as a commander but is actually a Nea So Copros man. It doesn’t help he looks very similar to Lusamine, and is likely to have connections with her.

The theory isn’t fully formed yet, but here’s some thoughts, at least.