Chapter 381

"Lillie and I will stay here and meet with the rest of the Aether Foundation."

Lusamine and Lillie were largely uninvolved in the Pokémon Journeys to the Ruins, but what they did was indeed necessary.

Qiao Ran did not object to Lillie and Lusamine acting together. Among these Trainer, it would be of great benefit to Lillie if she could learn something from Lusamine. Of the remaining trainers, the only one who might stay was Mei.

However, she still couldn't quite make up her mind.

Even though she knew that going to the Altar would likely result in the same thing as before— Qiao Ran disappearing, and them being unable to do anything—was it really okay to do nothing and just enjoy the feeling of reuniting with her mother all by herself?

She simply couldn't make that judgment.

If something really happens to Qiao Ran...

"Mei."

Qiao Ran walked up behind her, patted her on the shoulder, and then pointed outside, indicating that she should go outside and talk to her first.

Mei hesitated for a moment, but in the end she followed Qiao Ran out.

After quite some time, she finally returned to the room with Qiao Ran.

"Um... I won't be participating in tomorrow's operation for the time being. You guys have to do your best, do your best!"

Mei bowed deeply to everyone. Although she spoke somewhat haltingly, she finally made up her mind to take advantage of this hard-won opportunity to have a proper talk with her mother.

"Mei, you..."

Mei's mother also seemed unprepared for this change. She knew her daughter's personality; having joined such a group, she was bound to be restless at this crucial juncture. Moreover, her previous inner turmoil confirmed this.

And now, the change in Mei... wait, could it be related to this boy?

Um??

Mei's mother immediately became alert.

Something's not right.

Something definitely doesn't seem right.

Why does Mei listen to him so much? What exactly did they talk about when they went out earlier?

What exactly is his relationship with Mei?

Mei's mother didn't know what had happened, but she sensed something was wrong. Although it would be nice to spend more time with her daughter the next day, she still needed to ask about this matter.

"..."

As for the others present, they probably didn't think too much about it. Lusamine knew they were very compatible partners, Hilbert along the way. Qiao Ran had probably called Mei out to do some persuasion. However, what interested Lusamine was how Qiao Ran had managed to change Mei's mind in such a short time.

Unexpectedly, Qiao Ran also has such talent in this area.

However, things might be far less complicated for Qiao Ran. To change the mind of someone like Mei, one would have to be a little more forceful and direct.

"Ahem... Let's continue our discussion then. I'm quite familiar with the location of the War Ruins, so I can probably offer some suggestions."

Professor Kukui glanced around at the others present and quickly steered the conversation back on track. He and his wife, Burnet, were clearly more interested in "rescuing Tapu." After all, Tapu's arrival would ensure the island's safety, allowing the other islanders to return to normal life and continue pursuing their dreams instead of struggling in this quagmire.

"By the way, what are the strongest Pokémon, and what are their battle strengths?"

Given the current situation, we need to Analytic the combat strength that everyone can muster. In order to prevent being blocked and surrounded by Ultra Beast when entering the Ruins, we will probably need a few people to guard the entrance.

"Us?"

Qiao Ran pointed to herself and then asked a question.

After Professor Kukui nodded, Qiao Ran blinked and finally began to explain.

"Hmm... that's about it..."

"Zacian, Yveltal... and..."

Regarding the two strongest members of their teams, Zacian and Yveltal undoubtedly occupy those two spots. However, for the third, many Pokémon have the potential to compete. Dianxi is indeed very strong after Mega Evolution, but Reshiram has also caught up with its own strength. Nihilego and Silvally are close behind, as are Latias and Suicune...

After hesitating for about half a second, Qiao Ran finally said the name.

"Hmm, Dianxi?"

"Puff!"

Professor Burnet was still drinking water, almost spat it out.

Kukui also a little confused and paused for a moment, seemingly not having heard clearly.

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

For a fleeting second, he felt like he was hallucinating, but... he shouldn't have... misheard, right?

What Pokémon are you talking about?

"I understand, I roughly understand."

After listening to Qiao Ran and the others' account of their situation, their favorite Pokémon, and their general assessment of his own abilities, Kukui slumped weakly onto the sofa.

He probably knew why Qiao Ran and the others were able to accomplish this feat on other islands, and why they hadn't mentioned taking him along in their previous conversation.

It seems... it's not that they're bragging or overconfident, but rather... they already possess that capability.

Besides Cynthia, whose entire team is champion-level, the boy's Pokémon are also frighteningly powerful. Zacian, Yveltal, Diablo, Clyde, and Shiram are all legendary Pokémon. How did he gain their approval and become able to adventure with them?

Of course, aside from these two exceptions, the others also gave Kukui a sense of unreality. Mei's main Decidueye had already surpassed the Elite Four level, and the other Pokémon were on the verge of breaking through as well. To reach this level at such a young age was truly astonishing. What was most shocking was that not long ago, she was just a complete novice, and Kukui had even given her Starter Pokémon. Recalling that day of meeting, Kukui even felt as if it were yesterday.

Kukui seemed to see the shadow of the cloaked dragon Emissary in her; the first Champion of Alola would probably be this girl.

However, this junior with such astonishingly terrifying talent wasn't the most outrageous one. There was another girl named Mei, who, despite being the same age as Mei, had reached the level of Elite Four much earlier. As for Mei, although she was slightly weaker than the two of them, she was still quite surprising Acerola.

Normally speaking, it would be quite remarkable for Acerola to become Captain at her age. What's even more remarkable is that her strength continues to grow, clearly placing her among the strongest tier of Captain.

--This child's future is probably unimaginable. Even if she can't reach the same level of absurdity as Mei, she will definitely be among the top in Alola.

"If that's the case..."

Professor Kukui looked up at the ceiling. He suddenly felt that after hearing about this strength, he had lost the will to arrange anything else. A Champion, several Quasi-Elite Four, plus himself, Trainer who could barely hold his own against a Champion years ago—this lineup... they could practically rebuild the Pokémon League on the spot, right?

Although that was indeed what he thought, Qiao Ran still went along with his suggestion and continued to make arrangements.

"I'd like to explain the specifics in more detail."

"After entering the Cave on the other side of the canyon, which is inside the Ruins, there is a high chance of being Beat Up by Ultra Beast. Moreover, due to the unique terrain of the Ruins, if they are Beat Up, it is easy for the entire Ruins to collapse, and then... the people inside will be completely trapped."

Qiao Ran looked at the topographic map that Kukui had taken out, and then gave his suggestions.

"Therefore, I think this time we should arrange for most of the people to be stationed outside."

"Who went in this time?"

Cynthia couldn't help but ask again. The last incident was a complete disgrace to her, and even now, she still couldn't forget it.

"... You'll come with me."

Qiao Ran looked at Cynthia and nodded deeply. If there was anyone present who could make him feel completely at ease, it would probably be Cynthia. Moreover, with her knowledge, she could be of great use when entering the Ruins.

"As for the rest of you... I'll leave the defense outside to you. If Ultra Beast come, please take them out immediately. Also, under no circumstances should the Ultra Beast's attacks affect the Ruins themselves."

Qiao Ran couldn't guarantee what might happen inside the Ruins, so the defenses outside were far Heavy Slam than the arrangements inside. Moreover, based on previous experience, having a large number of people wouldn't be of any use inside the Ruins.

"Are we outside...?" Mei and Acerola hesitated for a moment. Of course, they also hoped to go in together and fight alongside Qiao Ran and the others, but... they also knew that in that situation, they might not be able to do anything.

"Alright, then we'll leave the fighting outside to you."

In the end, they nodded. After all, this mission was indeed very important. If Qiao Ran and Cynthia continued to encounter the same situation inside, they would probably be powerless to resist for some time. If the Ruins collapsed completely at this point, it would be an irreversible consequence.

"Since that's the case, then I'm afraid I have no way to refuse the internal distribution of books/groups: 9'8"0'2,0"5?8,5:6?"

Library

Dr. Kui shrugged. Although he was the one who initially proposed to discuss countermeasures, Qiao Ran ultimately led him away. Most importantly, almost no one present objected, Kukui with no reason to refute.

This is indeed the best solution. Since they have already helped two islands, they likely have some experience of their own. As for who will enter the Ruins, it's the Sinnoh Champion and this boy...

So, the key to all of this lies with this boy?

The discussion had basically come to an end, and it was almost evening, so everyone went to Hala's house to have dinner together.

Generally speaking, most residents here don't cook at home; instead, they live in a communal canteen where meals are distributed according to the number of people. The situation is different now than before, so life is still quite tight.

However, this time they have special guests, so they need to be extra careful. Hala specially went to the city's warehouse to get some good stuff, since they're going to the Ruins for a battle tomorrow, and not only these guests, but their Pokémon also need to be well-fed.

"Alright, Burnet and I will cook together, you just wait and see."

Mei's mother pulled Burnet into the kitchen, and surprisingly, Burnet seemed to actually know a thing or two about cooking.

"... I never expected Professor Burnet to have this skill."

Cynthia couldn't help but sigh. She had thought Burnet was similar to her, and she basically never did anything herself.

"... Haha, yeah, that's right." Upon hearing the exclamation, Qiao Ran instinctively wanted to retort, but after realizing that it was Cynthia who spoke, Qiao Ran decisively changed her words.

"Generally speaking, most people probably don't know how, right?"

Strictly speaking, Cynthia isn't incapable of cooking; it's just that what she makes is barely edible, not particularly delicious.

"Don't let Burnet's appearance fool you, she actually studied for a long time, and she still can't compare to Mei's mother's skills." Professor Kukui directly exposed Burnet's background, but Qiao Ran couldn't help but feel that he was trying to show off their relationship.

The relationship between these two PhDs is indeed quite good.

Soon, dinner began in a joyful atmosphere and ended peacefully. The reunited Lusamine and Burnet talked about many things from the past, while Mei, who hadn't seen her mother for a long time, also shared many interesting stories from her adventures.

However, Qiao Ran wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose, but she barely mentioned her name at all, and even when she did, it was just a brief mention, considering what she had said before coming here.

... This guy definitely did it on purpose.

However, being too deliberate can sometimes backfire. At the dinner table, Qiao Ran felt strange gazes countless times, and the other end of those gazes was Mei's mother—in this world, there was probably no one who understood Mei better than her. Since Qiao Ran could sense these strange feelings, there was no reason why she wouldn't notice them.

"..."

Qiao Ran could only eat his meal in silence, praying that Mei wouldn't be interrogated by her mother tomorrow. They all had to go to the Ruins to participate in the battle tomorrow, and there was no one here who could handle the battle.

After dinner, Hala and Kukui led Qiao Ran and the others to their temporary accommodation, which seemed to be a converted Inn. Although it was only a temporary place, the conditions were slightly better than what they had experienced on Akala Island, befitting the largest city in the Alola Region.

Even within the same region, differences in development and distribution still exist.

Qiao Ran and the others settled into a temporary Inn, while Mei went back to her current residence with her mother. Although Mei seemed a little hesitant when she left, it wasn't like they would never see each other again. Since Qiao Ran had promised her that she could enjoy this time... she couldn't waste it.

Compared to Mei and Cynthia, who are unable to see their families, she is already quite lucky.

Mei returned to her home, while Qiao Ran also went to his room early, looking around somewhat bored.

Unlike Mallow and Lana, who love to play on Akala Island, the Island Kahuna and the professor here are adults with their own things to do. Of course, they wouldn't drag Qiao Ran around. After returning to his room, Qiao Ran didn't have anything else to do, so after thinking for a while, he decided to go explore the Wild Area.

However, just as he was thinking this, there was a gentle knock on his door. When he opened the door, a figure rushed towards him.

"Qiao Ran."

The visitor was Mei, but—she seemed to have come here with some purpose in mind.

Her gaze was shimmering.

"No one who might bother us will come tonight."

Mei isn't here today, and Lillie is being held back by her mother. Normally, Lillie might even be more...

Lillie was proactive, but right now, in front of Lusamine, she dared not make any rash moves.

In other words, Mei have almost all the time to herself from now on.

"Um... we still have to go to the Ruins tomorrow."

Seeing Mei's "happy" face, Qiao Ran couldn't help but take a step back. Although he knew it would be difficult to find an opportunity during this time, wasn't this a bit too exaggerated?

That's why I came early today.

Mei wouldn't give up on her goal today just because of Qiao Ran's words; she had planned it all along.

"It won't affect your sleep."

As long as she arrives early enough, it won't affect the subsequent plans. After all, she herself has to participate in the battle tomorrow, and if she doesn't perform well, it would be too unfair to Mei, who didn't participate.

"..."

Qiao Ran shook his head helplessly.