Chapter 366

The girls who traveled with Qiao Ran were mostly used to this situation, and Cynthia, who often went on field expeditions alone, had also gradually adapted. Only Lusamine came along this time, was the most difficult to deal with. Although Qiao Ran understood that it was a bit much to ask of this chairperson and researcher to run around like this, it also meant that he had to put in more effort and take special care of her.

"Thank you, Xiao Ran."

Lusamine was well-versed in human relationships, couldn't possibly have missed this. When Qiao Ran helped her down, she still thanked him.

However, given her connection with Lillie, she could accept Qiao Ran's kindness with a clear conscience, since they had already discussed this matter before, and in the future, they would probably be family.

She was quite satisfied with Qiao Ran, and Lillie had inherited her discerning eye, finding the most outstanding one among everyone.

Continuing forward from their landing site, after traversing a vast, dilapidated area and Defeat countless Ultra Beast attempted to ambush them, Qiao Ran and his companions finally saw the outline of the so-called "gathering point."

"This..."

However, upon seeing this scene, Qiao Ran, Acerola, and everyone else couldn't help but widen their eyes in astonishment.

Before them stood a Stone Blocks wall, two or three stories high, that stretched into the distance. On top of the wall were stacked Geodude and other Rock-type Pokémon, which began to shout as they noticed Qiao Ran and his Pokémon approaching.

"This... is probably Olivia's doing."

Mei couldn't help but speak up.

Each island has its own approach to Ultra Beast, and in the Alola Region, perhaps only the Island Kahuna, who is proficient in Rock Type, can do this. To move so many Rock-type and stack them into a wall with perfect precision would be an impossible task without meticulous calculation and exceptional skill.

"Hmm, it must be Olivia."

Acerola agreed. Unlike their Ula'ula Island Kahuna, who loved to Rest, Olivia's abilities were well-suited to protecting the other people. Moreover, Olivia not only looked reliable but was also a very responsible person. Although she often complained about not being able to get married, Acerola thought she was just joking.

She's so outstanding, how come no one likes her?

"Mei? Acerola? Wait, what are you doing here??"

Suddenly, a voice came from above the wall. The person seemed surprised by the appearance of the group. However, what surprised them the most was probably not just Mei and Acerola.

"This... Chairwoman Lusamine??"

"... Hmm? And who is this...?"

Her gaze lingered on Cynthia for a moment, as if she couldn't recognize her.

The Alola Region is often isolated from the outside world, and information is not readily available. Therefore, it's understandable that the girl doesn't know Cynthia, given that Alola has only become more open in the last decade.

How did you get here?

The girl inside the stone wall hurriedly waved, trying to give directions to Acerola and the others.

"Go a few hundred meters over there, there should be an entrance you can use to get in. I'll go open the door for you now!"

As she spoke, she released a Lurantis, then jumped off the stone wall, hugging herself.

Qiao Ran and the others followed her instructions and went in the direction she pointed out.

Taking advantage of this time, Mei and Acerola secretly introduced the girl from earlier. In the dim light of the night, no one could really see her face or clothes clearly, but judging from her outline and voice, she was a very young girl.

"... That was Mallow, the Grass-type Captain of the Alola Region. Her family owns Restaurant in Konikoni City, and she helps out Restaurant."

Mei lowered her voice.

"However, she doesn't seem to recognize Cynthia. I'll tell her about her when we meet later."

As Mei spoke, she observed Cynthia's expression, but Cynthia simply smiled and didn't seem to care.

"It's okay, I'm not a celebrity, and I don't need everyone..."

Everyone remembers who I am.

She has never cared about empty fame. Being remembered by others as Pokémon Trainer is no longer important. Compared to that, she would much rather be remembered as a mythology researcher, which is what she is currently striving for.

"After all, that's how it was in Alola before. Nobody knew about any Pokémon League. It was only recently, Professor Kukui from Melemele Island mentioned something about Alola League, that we started paying attention to these things."

Acerola did offer a defense of Mallow, saying that the Alola people were just that unconventional.

After walking along the high rock wall for a while, Qiao Ran and his companions indeed found a place that resembled an "entrance." On the stone walls along the way, Qiao Ran also saw many Rock Type Pokémon. Normally, they looked just like real rocks, only opening their eyes when Qiao Ran and his companions got close. These Pokémon originally lived on the mountain, but probably because of the invasion of Ultra Beast, they had nowhere else to go.

Taking on the role of guardian here is also a way of living alongside humans.

"Welcome— Mei, Acerola, are you alright?"

Opening the wooden door embedded in the stone crack, a girl with low pigtails, green hair, and a red flower-shaped ornament on her head appeared before everyone. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, which was indeed a very common skin color in the sun-drenched Alola Region.

As soon as she saw Acerola Mei, she rushed over and grabbed their hands.

What are you doing here? And so late at night?

Her expression showed a mixture of confusion and worry, but her enthusiasm still had a very Alola quality.

"This..."

Mei and Acerola exchanged a glance, then decided to go inside first.

"Mallow, this is a long story, can we talk about it slowly? What about Lana and Sister Olivia? They should be here too, right?"

"Hmm... they should be resting soon. I'm in charge of the guard duty tonight; usually, the three of us take turns. After all, the area we manage now includes parts of Heahea City and Konikoni City, and the distance to get there is usually quite far. It's great that you guys are nearby."

Mallow looked excited, seemingly because she had seen an old friend, and she said a lot in one breath.

However, she soon noticed Qiao Ran and the others standing next to them, thanks to the subtle hints from Mei and Acerola.

"Ah... sorry! I got a little too excited. Um... who are you...? Let me introduce myself first. I'm the Grass-type Captain of Akala Island. You can call me Mallow. My current goal is to become the strongest chef."

Mallow patted her head and stuck out her tongue, introducing herself. Just as Qiao Ran and the others had seen, she was an incredibly cheerful girl, yet true to herself.

Qiao Ran and the others briefly introduced themselves. Since Qiao Ran didn't have a special name in this world, he could only refer to himself as a "Trainer from afar." Fortunately, there was also Mei, another "Trainer from afar" who hadn't yet made a name for herself.

When Cynthia and Lillie introduced themselves, they surprised the girl in front of them.

"... The young lady of the Aether Foundation... so, you're the chairman's daughter..."

Mallow glanced cautiously at Lusamine, only feeling relieved when she saw that the other was still smiling. She had never imagined that she, as a commoner, would be able to meet the chairman and young lady of the Aether Foundation. Even after becoming the Captain, Mallow still had the same mindset and did not feel that she had become anyone important.

But Cynthia's identity almost made her stumble.

"God... God God Sinnoh Champion???"

If you ask her who the Champion of each region is, she might not recognize them clearly, but if you mention the Sinnoh Champion, she immediately understands.

That's the pinnacle of Pokémon Trainer in a region; each one is a powerhouse surpassing even their Island Kahuna and Island Kahuna!

According to the tourists dining at the restaurant, their regional Champion could easily defeat the Island Kahuna. While Mallow didn't know if this was true, the outer regions seemed more developed Alola, so they were probably right, weren't they?

"Champion... Champion..."

Mallow's gaze froze on Cynthia's face until Cynthia couldn't help but laugh, at which point she realized she might have been a little rude.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Mallow stammered an apology and lowered her head, realizing that staring at the other person like that was far too impolite.

"It's alright, it's quite interesting to see Trainer from other regions."

Cynthia didn't blame the other person. It was a good thing to see such a Hustle junior. She just didn't know how good the other person was at Pokémon.

Having traveled here, Cynthia's impression of the Alola Region has always been that "Trainer are very young." It seems that those who can make a name for themselves in Alola are all very young people.

This region might really become very powerful in the future.

Entering the area within the stone wall, inside

The situation inside is significantly better than outside. Moreover, Akala Island is different from Ula'ula Island. Most of the stronger Trainer on Akara Island are gathered together, which is probably why they were able to quickly set up this defensive line. On Ula'ula Island, however, the trainers are scattered all over the place, and by the time they want to react, it is already too late.

"Um... please wait here for a moment, I'll go and call Lana and Olivia over, it won't be long."

After bringing Qiao Ran and his group to her family's restaurant, Mallow scratched her head and quickly ran off to inform them of the situation. She didn't trust anyone else with this matter, so she figured it was better to handle it herself.

Inside the Restaurant, Mallow's parents and Older Brother approached the group and asked if there was anything they wanted to eat.

"Our restaurant is a long-established name on the island, and we often have tourists from other regions who come specifically to try it. You must be Mallow's friends, right? She just said you came from another island, you must be hungry after your journey."

Mallow's parents clearly knew Acerola Mei, but they treated everyone else the same as Mallow's friends.

"We actually already..."

Qiao Ran was about to refuse, saying they had already eaten on the way, but before he could do anything, he was interrupted by Lusamine.

"I'd like some simple dishes. I've heard about your Restaurant's reputation from some of the staff before, and I'd like to try it sometime if I have the chance."

Lusamine smiled and picked up the menu from the table.

"We don't have big appetites, so we'll just have a small taste tonight."

Upon hearing these words from the chairman of the Aether Foundation, Mallow's parents couldn't help but smile with delight. Their Restaurant's reputation had even reached the chairman's ears. Mallow's Older Brother nervously rubbed his hands together, almost bursting with excitement to start cooking on the spot.

Lusamine glanced at the menu, ordered something casually, and then let the others at the table make their own choices as well. However, she ended by reminding them not to be extravagant, since she could tell that the menu on the table seemed to have been sitting there for a long time—no one had picked it up in a long while.

In other words, food remains a scarce resource in this place, and it is supplied in quantity rather than on demand.

Of course, the fact that she couldn't eat anymore was also one of the reasons.

"Mother."

Seeing that Lusamine had finished dealing with everything, and that Mallow's parents Older Brother were happily going to cook, Lillie couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes at her mother.

"Honestly... thinking about this at a time like this, what are we going to do if we can't finish it all?"

In Lillie's opinion, Lusamine really loves playing these tricks. Although the other party seems quite happy, she'll eventually get herself into trouble.

"... How about we let the only man here help?"

Lusamine laughed and glanced at Qiao Ran.

"Generally speaking, boys should be able to eat more, right? Gladion was like that when he was little too."

"I..."

Qiao Ran's smile froze on his face. He could eat a lot, but wasn't there a bit too many people present?

One, two, three, four, five, six... that's six people already!

Can I really eat that much?

However, Qiao Ran had no way to refute Lusamine's expectant gaze. After all, she was Lillie's mother, the kind of person whose rank could crush others. Moreover, Qiao Ran didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that Lusamine had some unrealistic expectations of him.

I really can't eat that much!

Qiao Ran sat at the dining table, feeling despair about her future. Fortunately, not long after Mallow went out, she brought back two people, resolving the crisis.

Hi everyone, I'm back!

Mallow appeared before the crowd with a smile. Beside her stood a slightly shorter girl wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and a tall, voluptuous woman with dark skin.

"Alola, my name is Lana, and I'm the Water-type Captain on Akala Island, in charge of the Trials at Brooklet Hill."

The little girl with short blue hair was the first to greet us. Although her expression looked somewhat timid, her self-introduction suggested that she wasn't as pitiful as she appeared.

Moreover, her figure is actually quite similar to Acerola's. Although she is the same age as Mallow, her development is noticeably slower. No wonder Acerola said before that she and Lana are very good friends. Compared with the other two on Akala Island, Lana is probably the only one who is Acerola's friend.

"My name is Olivia, Olivia I am the Island Kahuna of Akala Island. Perfect timing, everyone's eating."

On the other side, a tall woman with dark skin smiled and sat down at the table in a very generous manner. Most importantly, she casually sat down next to Qiao Ran.

"Olivia likes people who eat well. If you don't eat, you won't have the strength to fight."

This Island Kahuna was also a very peculiar person; her enthusiasm seemed to surpass that of Mallow.

She was even more so than Zhu Lan. As soon as they met, she sat down at the table as if they were old friends. Although she was probably not much older than Cynthia, or maybe a few years older, their personalities were completely different.

"In that case, I'll make you something to eat. Lana, you can sit over here too."

Seeing that Olivia was already on the table, Mallow was also eager to try. Having been besieged by Ultra Beast for so long, she hadn't cooked a proper "feast" in a long time. Today, she finally had a distinguished guest worth entertaining, and she was determined to show off her skills.

"Uh... okay."

Lana blinked, then slowly sat down at the table, her expression still somewhat dazed; no one knew what she was thinking.

"By the way, since we're about to start eating, Olivia would like to ask you a question."

Olivia raised her head and glanced at everyone present.

"Did you all come from other islands? How are things on the other islands of Alola?"

As the Island Kahuna, Olivia has been keeping a close eye on Alola's situation. Unfortunately, while Akala Island can protect itself, it still faces Beat Up from Ultra Beast if it ventures out. Therefore, she is quite curious about how Qiao Ran and the others got here.

There are so many Ultra Beast out there!