Chapter 334

The children were genuinely happy about their return, purely feeling joy. And indeed... were the changes in their mother related to these children?

"Lillie, did you go to Mount Hokulani?"

Lusamine looked at Lillie in front of her and could see that her daughter had changed a lot.

"... Tell me what you did."

After some introductions and casual conversation, everyone sat down on the sofa in the living room. Those who couldn't fit had to stand.

For example, Sophocles, who is wide-set and takes up the space of two people, could only stand on the side and listen, while holding his own Togedemaru.

There's not much to say about what happened during this period, but to put Lusamine and Nanu at ease, Qiao Ran and the others recounted their actions over the past few days.

"The descent was somewhat dangerous, but compared to what we saw on the mountain, it was actually quite..."

As Qiao Ran spoke, he unconsciously mentioned the things he had seen on the mountain. However, just as Qiao Ran mentioned this, Lillie immediately nudged Qiao Ran with her elbow, signaling him not to continue.

"Ah... I'm sorry."

Qiao Ran then realized that there was a large group of children surrounding them, and it was indeed inappropriate to say these things in this setting.

--After watching those kinds of videos, they would feel quite uncomfortable, and if these children knew about them, it would definitely have a negative impact on them.

Of course, if they were determined to find out, Qiao Ran wouldn't mind telling them, but that would only be if they were fully prepared. For now, it's better to remain silent.

"Hmm~"

However, Lusamine on the other side didn't seem to be puzzled by Qiao Ran's words. Instead, she watched her daughter and Qiao Ran with great interest. Before, she wasn't quite sure, but now, seeing the little gestures between the two, she was very certain of one thing—their relationship seemed to have become even closer.

Just like when they first met—when she hugged Lillie subconsciously looked in Qiao Ran's direction before looking away.

As a mother, Lusamine knew perfectly well how innocent Lillie was; she would never hide her thoughts.

'I'll ask them both later.'

Perhaps, from now on, I can also fulfill my responsibilities as a mother, such as asking them about their relationship... Lillie definitely needs her Coaching too, right?

As for Qiao Ran, Lusamine didn't actually dislike this young man. Along the way, she had fully come to know his excellence. Whether it was rescuing her and her daughter from the Aether Foundation or closing the Spatial Rift on that island, Qiao Ran's courage and combat ability impressed her greatly. If Lillie really chose such a man, it might be a very good choice.

Just like she had done before, she worked hard with Lillie's father to build a family, which was definitely the happiest time of her life.

On the other side, Nanu also looked at Acerola with a somewhat restrained expression. This older man, with slightly graying hair, had never married or had children in his life, having worked for the International Police his entire career.

Back in his hometown, he seemed to have come to regard Acerola as his own daughter without even realizing it.

"Acerola, you..."

He seemed to want to ask something, but also seemed unsure of what to ask.

"I'm fine, Uncle Nanu."

The cheerful Acerola took the initiative to speak, recounting all her adventures over the past few days. Of course, she didn't mention anything about the Real World, focusing mainly on Alola's perspective.

Although she did have some questions for Nanu, such as about Anabel, whom she had met in the Real World, she didn't want to discuss such serious matters with the children around.

Let's ask the uncle again later.

As a veteran of International Police, Nanu might have also seen Anabel's file. Moreover, Anabel had experienced amnesia before. Did International Police use any methods to awaken Anabel's memory at that time?

"Old Ma, it's definitely more comfortable down the mountain than up there."

Sophocles stood to the side, watching the conversation, the smiles on their faces, and the energetic children, and couldn't help but sigh.

The people in the Aether House now seem to be full of vitality, completely different from how they used to be, when they almost never smiled.

"Yes, Little Horse."

Molayne nodded; he had seen it all too.

Just then, a little boy approached him and asked him a question, looking somewhat nervous.

"Um... Uncle, are you a researcher on the mountain? Are they really studying stars there?"

"Um."

A smile also appeared on Molayne's face.

Can such a young child really be interested in astronomy?

"We both study stars."

Feel free to ask me any questions.

Coming down from Mount Hokulani, the researchers felt as if they had been given a second life, and seeing these children, they couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions.

That evening, Lusamine brought out the best food from the warehouse, so that after dealing with the Guzzlord, she could at least splurge a little.

Furthermore, agriculture and aquaculture in the mountains of Ula'ula Island are recovering. As for other technical aspects, the resources of Lusamine and the Aether Foundation can provide support, and now with these researchers from the mountains, they will surely be of great help.

At night, the researchers slept on the floor under Molayne's arrangement, and Qiao Ran and the others were able to have a moment of leisure to return to the Real World to rest.

These days they've been camping in the wild with the researchers. This kind of life is obviously many times more difficult than ordinary peaceful days. They have to be careful of Ultra Beast at all times, and they even have to be on guard when Rest.

However, the more Qiao Ran felt these things, the more he realized how hard-won peace was. Pokémon are creatures with great power, but this power... is better left out of the Battlefield.

Of course, before returning to the Real World, they still had some things to discuss with Lusamine and Nanu. For this reason, Qiao Ran and the others also called over the brothers Sophocles and Molayne, since they were the first people to know about this matter.

What they were talking about were the video materials they had seen from the mountaintop.

"Are these... all true?"

Lusamine put down the tablet Qiao Ran handed her and passed it to Nanu beside her. In the short time that had passed, she had already browsed through its contents. It was clear that these were images taken by satellite. Strange blackish-purple objects had appeared in various parts of the Pokémon World, especially in the Sinnoh Region, and there were similar situations in Alola.

"Yes, it hasn't been modified at all."

Molayne nodded and adjusted his glasses.

"The most obvious place in the Alola Region... is the Altar of the Moone." Lusamine's expression was somewhat complicated. She knew better than anyone what Pokémon the Altar of the Moone represented, but as for that particular Pokémon, she didn't know how to face it.

It was her research on the Nebby that led to her husband's Disappearance. For a time, Lusamine also loathed this Ultra Beast, but later, it became Lillie's friend and even closed the Spatial Rift.

"The Altar of the Moone is where the flute is sounded to open the gate."

Lusamine muttered to herself, glancing at Lillie beside her.

"You probably can't get to other areas for the time being, but if you want to investigate Alola thoroughly, you'll probably have to go to the Altar of the Moone. The Monster there is much more concentrated than in the Shrine on the island."

"If you're going, why don't you go check out Exeggutor Island first?"

"Exeggutor Island?"

Lillie tilted her head in confusion.

What a strange name... What kind of place is that?

"This is one of Alola's Special Reserves and the habitat of the Alolan Exeggutor, located right next to Poni Island, where the Altar of the Moone is located. But none of that matters. What's important is that this is where the Moon Flute is kept. If you're going to the Altar of the Moone, get that first."

"

At this point, Lusamine had nothing to hide. She understood the risks Lillie was taking when she went out, and unlike the more reliable Gladion, she hoped that Lillie could further enhance her power.

"According to legend, using that item at the Altar of the Moone can awaken the sleeping Child of the Stars."

"... Although it's just a legend, and we haven't conducted any similar experiments, I still think it's worth trying."

"The sleeping Child of the Stars..." Hearing her mother's words, Lillie seemed to realize something and her eyes widened involuntarily.

"Could this mean..."

Isn't the Nebby currently in a state of dormancy?

Awaken the sleeping Child of the Stars...

And this prop actually has such an effect?

"Yes, that's all I wanted to say. As for the rest, you can judge for yourselves."

Lusamine did not interfere with Lillie's judgment; she smiled and did not continue speaking.

Meanwhile, Nanu, after watching the video, also sat blankly on the sofa, saying nothing.

As International Police, he had been to many places in the Pokémon World, but this crisis was truly unprecedented in its severity. Their organization seemed to have disappeared without a trace; at least, during the period of the crisis, he hadn't even considered using his communication devices.

"Thanks..."

He handed the tablet back to Qiao Ran, then sighed deeply and started petting his Alolan Persian again. However, due to his anxiety, he petted the cat much faster.

Given the magnitude of the crisis and his current personal circumstances, there's nothing he can do. Perhaps all he can do now is protect the Aether House and help the other islanders return to their normal lives.

The conversation didn't last long, since it was just a message being relayed. Besides that, Acerola took out her phone and showed Nanu pictures of Anabel — Acerola had taken quite a few photos with Anabel when they last went out together.

"What are you doing...?"

Looking at the smiling selfie of the two of them on Acerola's phone, Nanu felt a sense of spatial disorientation. Another world... was it really this wonderful?

They looked exactly like two close girls going out shopping together.

"Hmm... this is definitely Anabel. How did she end up in another world?"

Although it took a little time, after looking through a few photos, Nanu had basically confirmed Anabel's identity. This International Police Chief who was dispatched to Alola had actually met him a few times.

"We're not entirely sure either; she was already suffering from amnesia when we first met her."

Acerola pouted and shook her head. She didn't know what had happened to Anabel either; they were still trying to help her regain her memories.

"Wait, has he lost his memory again?"

Upon hearing this news, Nanu opened his mouth, clearly not expecting this outcome.

Anabel was already suffering from amnesia when she joined International Police, and now... she's suffered from amnesia again???

Is this even possible??

Losing your memory once might still be considered amnesia, but if you lose it twice, what else can you possibly lose?

"Anabel... it's been tough for her."

Hearing these things, even the usually mischievous Nanu couldn't manage a smirk anymore; he could only shake his head with a wry smile.

"However, being able to forget everything and go to your world... might not be such a bad thing."

He recalled the photos he had seen on Acerola's phone; those smiles were definitely not fake or pretentious. What was incredibly precious here was merely a fleeting glance in a group photo in that world.

We may not realize how precious peace is in ordinary times, but we only realize how wonderful it is when we lose it.

"There might be some information about Anabel in the police station where I used to live. Please bring it with you..."

Nanu's gaze swept across the faces of Molayne and Sophocles, and his slightly narrowed eyes made the two of them involuntarily straighten up.

"Take those with you when you take them to Po Town."

Nanu took a bunch of Key out of his pocket and tossed them into Qiao Ran's hand.

"There might be a lot of Key, and I can't remember which one it is. When you get there, just try them one by one. If the police station is destroyed by Ultra Beast, you can search for it in the ruins."

Nanu Yawn, stood up from the sofa, waved his hand after saying those words, and left the conference room.

On the other side, Sophocles and Molayne, seeing that the conversation was basically over, soon made an excuse to leave. They were exhausted from the past few days and only today did they finally have a place to rest. Although they were sleeping on the floor, at least they could get a good night's sleep without any worries. Compared to the anxious rests they had experienced before, the Aether House was simply paradise.

"You..."

Suddenly, Lusamine and Qiao Ran remained in the room. Lusamine glanced at Lillie, she seemed about to say something.

But since other girls were present and it was getting late, she ultimately abandoned the idea.

Anyway, there's still time later, so it's fine to take it slow.

"Get some rest tonight. Are you planning to go to another world?"

"Mm." Qiao Ran and Lillie both nodded.

The Aether House is already packed with people, so they can't take over other people's rest areas, right?

Moreover, the environment in the Real World is better than here, which can help them recover to a better state as soon as possible.

"Oh, right."

Before leaving the Pokémon World, Qiao Ran paused for a moment, quietly walked up to Lusamine, and handed Lusamine a small box.

"This... is it?"

Qiao Ran didn't have many opportunities to talk to Lusamine alone; Lillie was usually present. So this time, Qiao Ran deliberately stayed behind to give her this, which surprised Lusamine a little.

Is this... Present?