Chapter 224

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"I heard that a few people dressed in strange cosplay outfits with gray skin have appeared near the Gym, saying they're looking for us."

Sabrina didn't convey much information, but when Qiao Ran connected the dots, he was still startled.

Gray skin... cosplay costume...

If he remembers correctly, there are indeed "people" in the Pokémon world who fit this description.

However, logically speaking, those beings shouldn't be here.

Qiao Ran frowned. Although he still had Competition to participate in, this matter was indeed of great importance, and he couldn't just sit idly by. Besides, his appearance was still a long way off, and it might even be extended to the afternoon session.

"Also, I can't drive at all!"

Qiao Ran gripped the car Key tightly in his hand. Although he wanted to drive, he really didn't know how.

"Etc."

A thought suddenly flashed through Qiao Ran's mind: just a few days ago, when they first met Cynthia, she seemed to have mentioned that she could drive?

Qiao Ran's eyes suddenly lit up. He walked straight into the lounge, came to Cynthia, and handed Sabrina 'Cynthia Key to her.

"Um, excuse me... can you drive?"

Sitting in the passenger seat, with the Pokémon League Champion in the driver's seat, Qiao Ran rolled down the window, enjoying the breeze blowing in from outside. At that moment, he felt like the most carefree person in the world.

"Sabrina said that someone came to the Gym specifically looking for us. Could it be related to the Pokémon World?"

Cynthia chatted with Qiao Ran while controlling the car.

"Hmm... it might not be the Pokémon World. Judging from Sabrina's description, she seems to be from some other world."

Before actually meeting him, Qiao Ran didn't dare to make a direct judgment; he could only briefly express his guess.

"Wait, do you have any driving documents...? Do you have a driver's license?"

Qiao Ran suddenly remembered something and quickly asked a question.

Upon hearing Qiao Ran's question, Cynthia did not answer immediately, but instead turned her head slightly and revealed a mysterious smile.

"Time is of the essence."

"..."

Qiao Ran seemed to have realized something.

"I have a driver's license from the Pokémon World, but I don't know if it's valid."

Cynthia added.

Qiao Ran could only respond in silence, "..."

It can't be used, right? It definitely can't be used! That kind of thing has crossed the globe!

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Qiao Ran arrived at her destination— the Magic City Gym —in Cynthia's car. Fortunately, nothing strange happened along the way.

This Champion didn't boast about her driving skills. In fact, she usually drives herself when she goes to the field for scientific exploration. This serves two purposes: firstly, to help transport excavated materials, and secondly, to act as a temporary storage point for supplies. In short, her driving skills are quite good.

"The Magic City Gym is..."

Following the location given by Sabrina, Qiao Ran quickly arrived at a room inside the Gym. Because the individuals' features were so easily recognizable, the Gym staff didn't simply dump them there.

Instead of inviting them outside, they were asked to rest in a room first.

However, since Sabrina had already begun to consolidate her own forces, the news about these people had not yet spread within the Gym.

As soon as Qiao Ran entered the lounge and stepped through the door, he saw several people with grayish-white skin wearing strange jumpsuits that looked like spacesuits.

There are no people like this in this world, so it's perfectly normal for them to be mistaken for cosplayers... At least apart from their skin color, they are no different from normal people; they don't have extra tentacles or wings growing out of their backs.

Upon seeing Qiao Ran's arrival, these people all stood up. Leading them was a middle-aged man who looked very serious, with a younger-looking man and woman standing behind him.

"Hello, we are the Ultra Recon Squad."

They stated their identities very directly, without making any attempt to conceal them.

The man in the lead looked at Qiao Ran.

"My name is Neosila, and I'm the Captain of the Ultra Recon Squad."

"..."

Cynthia, standing to the side, also seemed surprised to find such a group of people waiting for them. So, she turned her gaze to Qiao Ran, waiting for his reaction.

Qiao Ran frowned slightly.

--Ultra Recon Squad.

He knew about this organization.

Or rather, this thing is actually related to the Alola Region, Ultra Beast, and Nebby.

However, this is not a force from any region of the Pokémon World, but an organization from another world that was born in search of their "Deity".

Their world is filled with Ultra Beast, and everyone relies on the power of "technology" to avoid the threat of these Ultra Beasts. However, due to their over-reliance on technology and the eccentric nature of the Ultra Beast, they have not developed a harmonious relationship with them like that between Ultra Beast and Pokémon.

However, logically speaking, these people shouldn't be here; they should be in the Real World.

"You came to us on your own initiative because you wanted to..."

Unable to discern the other party's intentions, Qiao Ran could only probe their thoughts first. In fact, ever since being tricked by that Otherworld Rose, Qiao Ran had become wary of these Otherworlder.

"That's right, our Ultra Recon Squad actually comes from an organization from another world..."

The leading man glanced at Qiao Ran and Cynthia in front of him, and seeing their reactions, he nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems you're not too surprised, so I'll continue."

"Our purpose in traversing the world was to find the departed the Blinding One. Our exploration of this world was supposed to be complete, and we were about to return to our original world. However, just a few days ago, we discovered a peculiar being. This is why we specifically sought you out."

Neosila out his hand, and a strange screen extended from his clothing, displaying itself in front of Qiao Ran and Cynthia.

This is something that has never existed in this world before, and the emergence of these methods further confirms their identity as visitors from Otherworld.

What was playing on the screen wasn't some strange video, but rather a conversation between Qiao Ran and Sabrina that Qiao Ran had uploaded a few days earlier.

Is there anything strange about this video?

Qiao Ran blinked in confusion. Did he and Sabrina have something that was worth these people's attention?

Neosila shook his head, and the video suddenly stopped abruptly. He reached out and tapped a spot on the screen.

In that spot, a blurry phantom suddenly appeared.

"This one, is it the Child of the Stars?"

Captain Neosila pointed to the fleeting shadow and revealed its identity. Upon seeing that ephemeral phantom, Qiao Ran basically understood what was going on. However, since it was only a fleeting image, he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. How did these guys even discover it?

Is it really about using a magnifying glass to watch videos?

"... If you're talking about a Pokémon with a nebula-like appearance, then that is indeed it."

The other party has already presented evidence, and Qiao Ran has no reason to continue hiding it. Besides, the world the other party previously lived in can actually be considered Nebby's "hometown".

In that world, the Nebby is called the "Child of the Stars." After it grows into the "Star Cocoon," one of the two beasts, Solgaleo, the "Beast that Devours the Sun," and Lunala, the "Moone-Eating Beast," will be born.

"Child of the Stars are very rare Ultra Beast; if they continue to grow, they will become the most terrifying beings."

Captain Neosila gave Qiao Ran a deep look, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

"If you can't train him, perhaps..."

"It's not scary to me." Qiao Ran didn't back down at all, meeting the other person's gaze directly.

He had spent some time with Nebby, so how could he possibly think it was a terrifying Ultra Beast? Besides, even if it were truly terrifying, Qiao Ran wouldn't be afraid of it.

"... Oh."

Captain Neosila gave a soft hum, stroking his beard, it was unclear whether he was laughing or...

To express some other emotion.

"However, this is not the most terrifying thing. Once the Child of the Stars has fully grown, it will become the prey of the Blinding One. If you insist on being with the Child of the Stars, then you'd better be prepared for the worst."

"At that time, the Rage the Blinding One will also steal all the light from this world, plunging it into complete darkness, making it just like our world."

The Blinding One - Necrozma.

It is the supreme Deity of Ultra Beast Ultra Megalopolis Beasts. It spreads light throughout the entire world, and its status is even comparable to Arceus in the Pokémon World. However, due to the insatiable greed of the humans in the Ultra World, who wanted to control the Blinding One and demand more light from it, the Blinding One eventually lost a part of its body and went into a berserk state, seizing all the light in the world.

From that day on, the world of Ultra Megalopolis was plunged into boundless darkness. People could only rely on science to build towers in the center of the city that could emit faint light and heat, thus struggling to survive.

The Ultra Recon Squad's ashen skin was a result of living in darkness for a long time.

"If the Blinding One appears, I will handle it."

Qiao Ran understands all of this and comprehends the truth of the Ultra World. Ultimately, he still can't completely trust these Otherworlder who once harmed Pokémon.

Moreover, Qiao Ran wouldn't be so terrified of Necrozma, the Blinding One who has now lost his brilliance.

After several recent battles and Competition, Qiao Ran's mindset has changed considerably. It was the Pokémon that gave him confidence, allowing him to say such things with such self-assurance.

"... Indeed, judging from what you showed in your video, you might really have that ability."

Captain Neosila looked at Qiao Ran, and finally shook his head slightly.

"Alright, that concludes our friendly reminder. It's about time; we should wrap up this investigation and return to our metropolis."

Captain Neosila looked behind him, and the man and woman behind him immediately understood and stood behind him.

Captain Neosila took out a strangely shaped Poké Ball. When the ball opened, a Pokémon with the appearance of a pale Lion appeared before everyone, its enormous body taking up most of the rest area.

If this weren't Gym, and the rooms weren't specially enlarged, this Pokémon.

Cynthia's expression shifted slightly. This Pokémon had a very similar appearance to the one she had seen in the Murals of Alola Legends, so it was probably no ordinary Pokémon.

"Thor... Galeo?"

Qiao Ran's eyes flashed with surprise as he instantly recognized the Pokémon's name.

Solgaleo, the Beast that Devours the Sun, is one of Nebby's final evolutions and is an extremely powerful Legendary Pokémon. However, its true identity should actually be Ultra Beast from Otherworld.

"Do you recognize it?..."

Captain Neosila seemed surprised that Qiao Ran knew so much. He stroked Solgaleo's mane and gave a brief explanation.

"This is Ultra Beast that worked with our original Ultra Recon Squad. It has been passed down from then until now, carrying us through countless worlds in search of the Blinding One. Even when our team members are in danger and unable to return home, it can always return to the metropolis and bring back the news."

Even if you gathered all the power of the entire Metropolis world together, Pokémon like Solgaleo would still only be one. Moreover, Solgaleo's ability to travel between worlds is not something they can control.

That's right—the final evolutionary forms of the Child of the Stars, Solgaleo and Lunala, both possess the ability to open the Ultra Wormhole and traverse space. This mysterious power has temporarily surpassed the scope of science.

"Aww--"

With a Howl from Solgaleo, a peculiar wormhole began to unfold before Qiao Ran and the others. As the opening widened, the attraction within continued to grow.

"That's about it."

Captain Neosila and his two teammates exchanged glances and nodded, preparing to leave. After conveying this final message, they saw no need for them to remain in this world any longer.

There is no trace of the Blinding One in this world.

"Wait, do you have any way to get to Alola?"

Suddenly, watching their departing figures, Qiao Ran asked a question she wanted to know the answer to.

Alola?

As if in response to Qiao Ran's sudden mention of this word, Captain Neosila, the leader of the Ultra Recon Squad, suddenly turned around, leaning against the gradually expanding Ultra Wormhole, and touched his chin.

"Speaking of which... this name seems to belong to some civilization from thousands of years ago, right?... And the coordinates of this world are also..."

"...?"

Amidst the cacophony of the expanding Ultra Wormhole, Qiao Ran couldn't quite make out the contents of the other person's words, but even those fragments still made his eyes widen.

"Wait, what exactly are you talking about...?"

Qiao Ran wanted to press the other party for more information.