Chapter 346

Its gaze was deep and steady, and Rotom finally launched its translation function at this time.

"If possible, I would also like to travel to Rotom with you."

"But not yet. As the Island deity, I still have work to do. I can sense that there are things on this island that need to be driven out."

"Tapu Bulu..."

Tapu Bulu reached out and touched Qiao Ran's cheek, then withdrew his hand.

"Call me when you go to the world of those strange creatures. Ideally, bring all my other friends along too."

Tapu Bulu acknowledged Qiao Ran's strength, but as the Island deity, it could not easily leave. Moreover, Ula'ula Island and Alola were facing a deeper crisis, and it would feel guilty to leave now.

"... I see."

After listening to Rotom's translation, Qiao Ran nodded slightly.

He smiled and took the opportunity to rub Tapu Bulu's head, while also touching its two long horns.

Opportunities to experience the feel of Legendary Pokémon are rare, so since we can't travel together right now, we can at least indulge in playing them, right?

"Tapu Bulu..."

Tapu Bulu, caught off guard by Qiao Ran's sudden attack, made a somewhat bewildered sound. After briefly escaping, it cautiously looked back at Qiao Ran.

"Puff."

Seeing its unexpected reaction, Qiao Ran couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing how it fought, I initially thought it would be an even more temperamental creature.

"Moo..."

"It said it has something else it wants to give you Rotom."

"Huh?"

Just as Qiao Ran was still laughing, Tapu Bulu suddenly appeared and seemed to slip something into his hand.

"This is..."

Qiao Ran looked down at the inside of her palm.

A Rhombus, gleaming with light, lay there quietly.

"This is... z?"

"This is... Z-Crystal?"

Looking at the prismatic crystal in his hand that was shimmering with green light, Qiao Ran suddenly knew its name.

Z-Crystal is an extremely special ore that exists only in the Alola Region and can only be mined from certain veins.

In the Alola Region, Trainer use this to unleash a power called "Z-Move," which is similar to Mega Evolution, requiring a high degree of teamwork between the Pokémon and the Trainer. However, unlike Mega Evolution, which can last throughout the entire battle, Z-Move can only be used once.

"It is indeed Z-Crystal... and a Grass-type Z-Crystal at that."

As the Captain, Acerola leaned over for a look and immediately recognized the type of thing. As one of the Captain in charge of the Alola Region Island Challenge, she had the responsibility to deliver Z-Crystal to Trainer, and she had quite a few of them at home.

"However, I clearly remember that Z's power has stopped working and can't be used on the island, right?"

After the crisis, the Alola Region lost its Z-Force, so neither Acerola Mei paid much attention to it during this period. Trainer are very pragmatic, and once a power becomes unusable, they quickly adapt without much effort.

"... It's unusable on the island, indeed..."

Qiao Ran already knew about this. Since he came to the Alola Region, he had never seen any Alola native use the Z-Power. On the contrary, he had seen someone use the power in the Real World.

"Looks like I'll have to keep asking that guy when I get the chance..."

Rotom isn't the only enigmatic figure; in Qiao Ran's mind, there are several other similar candidates.

"Tapu Bulu."

"I will awaken the power of Z."

"Huh?"

Rotom's translation surprised everyone. Even Qiao Ran, who was stroking his chin in thought, paused for a moment.

Tapu... he actually has this kind of ability?

In Qiao Ran's memory, the Z-Power of the Alola Region was actually the remnant of the power of a Pokémon from Otherworld. In the legends of that Otherworld, that Pokémon had power and status comparable to Arceus. However, due to some unexpected events, its situation did not seem to be very good.

The residual power it left in Alola manifests as Z-Crystal and certain special "auras." Under the influence of these auras, some Alola Pokémon will be "enhanced," transforming into "Totem Pokémon" with enormous size and powerful combat abilities.

Did the Tapu on the surrounding islands also gain some ability to use this power in the process...?

"Tapu Bulu."

As if to prove the truth of its words, after saying these words, Tapu Bulu's body immediately floated into the air. The "hat" on its head gradually closed, enveloping its body in the shape of a "jar". At the same time, the bells under its body shook, performing a strange dance in the air.

"Ring ring..."

As the ringing sound spread, it seemed as if some power was being transmitted silently. Qiao Ran looked at the Z-Crystal in his hand. The originally dull prismatic crystal suddenly emitted a green light, as if it were filled with some kind of energy.

Similar light emanated from Mei's and Acerola's hands, especially from Mei's backpack, where the light was almost frighteningly bright.

"Uh... you actually have so many of these?" Qiao Ran's lips twitched involuntarily.

Seeing the gleam in Mei's bag, Qiao Ran suddenly felt that the one in her hand didn't seem so appealing anymore.

"It's none of your business!"

Mei blushed. "I got these during my adventures. Of course, I need to prepare more of the different types of Z-Crystal."

Each Z-Crystal corresponds to a specific type, and there are more than ten Z-Crystal corresponding to special Pokémon. As Trainer striving to become the Alola Champion, Mei naturally wants to collect them all.

However, having thirty or forty Z-Crystal in one bag is still quite a sight.

"..."

Qiao Ran could only gape and silently give her a thumbs up. He already knew that the physical constitution of humans in the Pokémon World could not be generalized, but now, seeing Mei running around with a bag of minerals on her back, he finally began to understand everything.

"So, does that mean we can now use the power of Z?"

Looking at the Illuminate purple crystal in her hand, Acerola couldn't help but ask a question.

When facing Tapu Bulu, she became noticeably more cautious and lost her previous carefree attitude. Perhaps this is what it feels like to meet a "Deity".

Tapu Bulu...

"It's usable within this area of the island, but beyond that, it's beyond my capabilities."

Rotom translated Tapu Bulu's words very quickly, and after hearing them, everyone couldn't help but show complicated expressions.

"Can it only be used on the island...?"

Qiao Ran pursed her lips.

"While it may not be of much use to our next steps, it should be good news for the people on the island, right?"

Everything has two sides. For them, who are about to move on to other islands, this may not be of much benefit, but for the people who will continue to live on the islands, it will be an absolutely huge help.

"Yes, with this, Ula'ula Island will definitely recover very quickly!"

Acerola could Bide contain her smile.

If she weren't a little reserved, Qiao Ran wondered if she would have excitedly grabbed Tapu Bulu and given it a hug.

The conversation between Tapu Bulu and Qiao Ran and the others lasted for a long time, during which everyone exchanged their thoughts with Rotom's translation.

It seemed genuinely grateful to Qiao Ran and Ninetales, but given the current situation, it had no way to escape.

"Tapu Bulu..."

"If you go to other islands, please, please help them."

"This world is slowly collapsing and sinking. If they weren't here, the Alola Region certainly wouldn't have survived..."

Before leaving, Tapu Bulu also solemnly expressed his thoughts to Qiao Ran.

As the guardian deities of Alola, they may not possess the same immense power as those in legends from other regions, but in this land, they are irreplaceable.

Only with their existence can this land remain peaceful and undisturbed.

And the only one capable of doing all this... is probably the boy standing in front of it.

After saying goodbye to Tapu Bulu, Qiao Ran and the others left the Ruins of Abundance and found a relatively open and safe place, preparing to return to the Real World first.

It's getting late, and the temperature in the desert is getting colder. Staying in the desert any longer isn't a good option. Even if we need to get out of the desert, it's better to wait until dawn.

However, what puzzled Qiao Ran was...

"So, those were the rewards?"

"Yes, Rotom."

Rotom shook his screen with absolute certainty. A reward is a reward, but if the reward itself has other intentions, then that's all there is to it.

"And you agreed, Master, too, Rotom."

Qiao Ran was present when Tapu Bulu said those words, and thinking of what had happened before, he couldn't help but sigh.

"What can we do then? I can't just take it away by Sheer Force."

Although Tapu Bulu is a very rare Pokémon, in that state, its stamina was probably almost depleted. Even if Qiao Ran to force its way in, Tapu Bulu wouldn't have much of a chance to fight back.

Although— Qiao Ran wouldn't do any of these things anyway.

"... The reward doesn't necessarily have to be for me; it could be given to someone else on this island."

This was the only way Qiao Ran could console herself.

After all, there are many people in this world who need this reward more than he does. Without this island, without Alola, without this world, what would be the point of him becoming Trainer?

As an adventurer, it is impossible to abandon the destination of one's adventure.

Focusing on a small reward is not a good habit.

"... Suddenly I feel like I've broadened my perspective."

Qiao Ran couldn't help but touch his chin, while Mei, standing beside him, clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Why are you suddenly talking to yourself? Saying strange things."

Did something go wrong when this guy traveled to that Torn World?

"Are you feeling unwell? If so, you should go home and rest immediately."

Mei looked over with some concern. After all, no one knew the state of that Torn World. Even Tapu Bulu was unconscious there. Could Qiao Ran have really been infected by something strange and started acting strangely?

"No, I'm perfectly fine."

Qiao Ran was a little confused for a moment about whether Mei was concerned about him or subtly mocking him, but seeing her worried look, he ultimately didn't say anything more.

Although no one else knew he had disappeared, they must still care about him, right?

Back in the Real World, they reopened several rooms at the Inn.

Qiao Ran and the others were finally able to relax after nearly a month of long adventure. During this time, they climbed the second highest mountain in Alola, rescued everyone on it, and then escorted them to the settlement of Po Town. Finally, they arrived at the Harvest Altar and experienced even more incredible things.

"This past month... feels more tiring than the two or three months of adventures I've had before."

"Really."

Mei Mei both felt that this month had been far too fulfilling. Every day consisted of nothing but battling and traveling. Although the Pokémon's strength was indeed improving rapidly, if they continued like this every day, neither the Pokémon nor they themselves could withstand such high pressure.

"... Then next time we go to other islands, let's take it slow."

Qiao Ran collapsed onto the Inn bed without any regard for his image. Along the way, in addition to being Trainer, he also had to use the Aura Power and the Tokiwa Power, acting as both a scout and a healer. It was impossible for him not to be tired.

Although we rested for a while on the way down the mountain, the fatigue accumulated during the Pokémon Journeys is not so easy to dispel.

The girls huddled together chatting, sorting out what had happened during this time, and then took turns washing up, while Qiao Ran lay on the bed, catching a Rotom trying to sneak back to Rotom Wild Area.

"By the way... is there something else you haven't finished saying?"

"Wha... what's wrong Rotom?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Rotom's screen as he began to play dumb.