Chapter 230
"... After all, the work my father and mother did was something no one had ever done before; it was unprecedented and extremely risky research."
Lillie lowered her head, looked at her shoes, and offered a brief explanation.
"If this gets out to certain people and is exploited, it will definitely cause even greater damage to the world."
She still remembers how spirited her parents were when they first built the facility; their intentions were certainly good. They even set up a Pokémon sanctuary on the top floor of the Aether Foundation... But everything changed after her father Disappearance.
As a child, she was powerless to do anything.
Let's not talk about that now.
Qiao Ran raised his hand and released several Pokémon with the ability to fly from the Poké Ball.
Reshiram, Yveltal, Latias, Altaria reappeared before him, obscuring the moonlight Artificial Island.
Then, Qiao Ran and the two girls jumped onto Reshiram's back. On such a night, the pure white Reshiram wouldn't be particularly conspicuous unless she activated her Turboblaze, in which case she would probably be visible no matter how far away she was.
"... Let's go."
Under Qiao Ran's command, Reshiram, Yveltal, and the others simultaneously took to the sky.
They had attempted to leave the Aether Foundation from the air several times before, but each attempt ended in failure, as the spatial barriers surrounding the Aether Foundation made it impossible for them to leave.
However, this time it was definitely different. Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei looked back at the Aether Foundation on the ground and found that the pure white Artificial Island was getting further and further away from them.
"He... he's really gone!"
Lillie's eyes widened; she could hardly believe what she was seeing. This was...
Did the surrounding barriers disappear on their own, or did my mother do something else?
"If we can get out of this area, that means we can really go to the Alola Region!"
Lillie isn't a native Alola, but her friend Mei and her family are still in the Alola Region. If they could go to Alola, Mei could find her family!
"Um... speaking of which, I have a question. If we fly like this over the sea..."
Suddenly, just as Lillie was still feeling sentimental, Qiao Ran, who was sitting at the very front, raised his hand.
His expression was somewhat strange.
"Um... do you know which way to fly to the islands of Alola?"
Lillie: "..."
Mei: "..."
Both of them fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances.
Mei had never been here before, and as for Lillie, being a young lady from a wealthy family, how would she know anything about directions?
Qiao Ran: "..."
Judging from the expressions of the two girls, Qiao Ran roughly knew their answer. He could only touch his cheek and tentatively ask a question.
"Then... shall we just fly around aimlessly for a bit and give it a try?"
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The Alola Region is considered a relatively peripheral region in the Pokémon World. While most other regions are single continents, the Alola Region consists of four islands and has a much smaller population compared to other areas. Even after so many years, it still hasn't formed its own Pokémon League, and local Trainer can only improve and train through the traditional "Island Challenge".
But it is precisely because of these factors that this place has become a tourist hotspot, with its beautiful natural landscape attracting a large number of travelers to come and admire its stunning scenery.
"Which way is the island... and who knows how long it will take to fly there?"
Lying on Reshiram's back, Qiao Ran and Lillie's group were starting to feel tired. The Pokémon were also listless, not only because it was their usual Rest, but also because nothing unusual had happened on the way, not even a single Ultra Beast flying in the air.
If possible, Qiao Ran would like to find a place to rest first, open Portal to go back and catch up on some sleep, but... they are currently on the sea. If they go back from here, they will have to drift on the sea the next time they come back.
"Let's try again... If it really doesn't work, we'll come back when it's light out; the visibility will be better during the day."
"Um..."
Although she was still reluctant to give up and worried about her mother's condition, Lillie nodded and agreed to Qiao Ran's suggestion. After all, they were like headless flies, running around aimlessly on the sea, and they couldn't see the situation in the distance very clearly.
"Ugh."
Mei to the side, also Yawn. She had been tormented by the Ultra Beast Aura in the Aether Foundation, and now that she was out, she couldn't see anything but the ocean. She was being tormented by boredom once again.
"Wait, is there something over there? And in this direction...?"
Suddenly, Qiao Ran, who was sitting in front, perked up and patted Reshiram beneath him. He had been directionless before, but suddenly he had a goal.
"Over there? That's..."
At first, the two girls didn't know what Qiao Ran was referring to, but as he approached, their eyes lit up as if they had spotted prey.
"Buzzwole! It's Buzzwole!"
From the empty sky appeared a Red mosquito, flexing its muscles and charging confidently toward Qiao Ran and his group. It was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
In this world, not many Pokémon have the power to fight Ultra Beast. However, this time, it was as if something went wrong. Just as Buzzwole was halfway through its charge, a chilling coldness surged into its heart.
"It really is Buzzwole, it's Buzzwole!"
A smile appeared on Qiao Ran's face, Pokémon flying beside him also laughed at the same time.
After being bored for so long, finally
Targets are practically delivered to our doorstep!
And it flew here on its own!!
I'm moved to tears.
Yveltal couldn't hold back any longer and fired Oblivion Wing without a second thought.
Latias and Altaria weren't idle either, adding their own skills, while only the more mature and quiet Reshiram watched all of this in silence.
"Emerging from the moonlit sea, red mosquitoes pierced the illusion of dreams, bringing reality back to the world."
Reshiram's azure eyes held a hint of appreciation as he watched the Buzzwole, utterly overwhelmed and unable to fight back, fall into the sea.
Although it didn't put any pressure on them, its appearance was still significant, and Reshiram would certainly not forget everything it had done tonight.
"..."
Qiao Ran blinked, momentarily at a loss for words about what was happening before her eyes. The points of excitement she and these Pokémon felt... seemed subtly different?
"... The Buzzwole is an Ultra Beast unsuitable for long-term flight; its thin wings make it difficult to support its muscular body. Therefore, it certainly didn't take it long to get here. Since the Buzzwole flew from this direction, it means there's a place to land in this direction—that is, an island exists!"
Qiao Ran looked in the direction from which Buzzwole had come. After a long, aimless search, they finally found their way forward. Qiao Ran wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and took the Poké Ball that Latias handed him using Confusion.
Thank you, Buzzwole.
The four islands of Alola are Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'ula Island, and Poni Island, each with distinct geographical features and cultural customs.
So, where are we now?
Following the path taken by the Buzzwole, Qiao Ran and his group indeed discovered a vast beach. The seawater washed over the golden sand, creating white waves. Without a doubt, this was "land".
It is completely different from the environment created by Artificial Island, as seen in the Aether Foundation.
But now, Qiao Ran, Lillie, Mei, and the others are once again lost, unable to even determine which island they are on.
"Lillie, do you know where this is?"
Mei looked left and right. It was her first time in Alola, and she hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Lillie, who was being asked the question, also frowned in confusion, indicating that she didn't know anything.
"... I'm sorry... my mother only took me to some of the big cities in Alola, I really don't know much about this area... I'm sorry..."
Lillie was also very troubled. Throughout the journey, as a "local" of Alola, she acted like an alien. Whenever asked about this topic, she had to squat down and cover her head in defense.
"There's no way around it, it's too late, let's head back now."
After briefly surveying his surroundings and confirming that he wouldn't fall directly into the sea next time, Qiao Ran offered his own ideas.
"Go back and get some rest. Before we come back tomorrow, let's go see Mei. She definitely knows what's going on here."
"Um!"
Lillie nodded, agreeing with Qiao Ran's words.
As a trainer who has participated in the Island Challenge, Mei has traveled to almost every island in Alola. If it were her, she would definitely know exactly where this place is. Besides... now that they have arrived in Alola, Mei can begin to search for her mother.
Just like her.
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Back to the Real World.
To Qiao Ran and the others' surprise, the living room lights were still on when they came out of the Portal. Sabrina and Cynthia were not Rest either, but were sitting in the living room waiting for them.
It's already two or three in the morning. According to their usual schedule, they wouldn't stay up until this late, especially since Sabrina has to participate in the Performance Competition tomorrow.
"... Why are you only getting back now?"
Sensing Qiao Ran's arrival, Sabrina, who was Calm Mind on the sofa, was the first to make a sound.
Cynthia, who was sitting next to them, half-asleep and propping her head up with her hand, also opened her eyes and looked at the group.
"..."
Before Qiao Ran and the others left, they told them where they were going, but what Sabrina and Cynthia didn't expect was that they would disappear for so long this time.
This has been going on for far too long; such a long period is definitely not normal.