Chapter 386
"Qiao... Ran..."
Cynthia glanced at Qiao Ran one last time before preparing to continue her escape. However, it was this one glance that left her frozen in place.
"..."
In that instant, she witnessed a scene she could never have imagined.
Just like the previous lightning and thunder, the previous light seemed like an illusion. Qiao Ran was still standing in front of him completely unharmed. Apart from some torn clothes, there were no charred marks on his body, and even his hair was as good as before.
"This..."
He himself seemed to widen his eyes in surprise, somewhat at a loss. This scene was clearly beyond his expectations; Tapu Koko's attack... had no effect on him?
Could it be... that I'm actually a rubber person who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit???
No... wait a minute. When did I acquire this ability???
Qiao Ran's face was full of question marks, but what happened the next second made him vaguely remember something.
Specks of light Levitate up from his body. Qiao Ran didn't remember having such a thing inside him, but looking at the strange light, he remembered something.
"This is..."
Qiao Ran remembers it very clearly.
Some things he just remembers so clearly.
Those lights, those shimmering Illuminate, weren't some illusion; that stuff... wasn't it just the Shield Dust of Tapu Lele?
"..."
Qiao Ran had experienced the magical Shield Dust more than once. On that day, when he left this space, Tapu Lele had sprinkled Shield Dust in the air, helping to relieve his physical fatigue. However, regarding his current situation, Qiao Ran did not believe it was due to that previous experience.
Instead...
Qiao Ran felt that it was very likely that Tapu Lele had done something in secret the night before he left Akala Island. The fact that he felt refreshed when he woke up in the morning was definitely not an illusion, but a fact—his body had changed.
These Shield Dust not only helped him withstand an injury, but also bestowed upon him a special blessing.
"Tapu Lele..."
No surprise comes from nowhere; everything has its origin.
However, to Qiao Ran's surprise, Tapu Lele's power was still effective even in this situation. Was the purpose of these Shield Dust simply to help him withstand one instance of damage?
"Qiao Ran! Run!"
Cynthia didn't think too much about it. After discovering that Qiao Ran was alright, she decisively grabbed Qiao Ran's hand and dodged Tapu Koko's next attack. She had been facing her final despair, but the fact that Qiao Ran unharmed ignited an unprecedented fighting spirit in her.
How he did it is no longer important.
"Um!"
Qiao Ran nodded in agreement. He had to cherish the opportunity that Tapu Lele had given him.
However— Tapu Koko in the sky, upon discovering that its attack had failed, had its previously suppressed anger completely ignited, and most importantly, it sensed from that man...
The scent of a certain Tapu.
He was the only one who possessed unparalleled fighting power, yet was able to steal the Tapu in the war.
Tapu Lele.
"Koke!!!!"
Tapu Koko cry once again echoed throughout the space, its Rage growing increasingly volatile with the spreading lightning.
These humans, who don't value combat, actually have some connection to Tapu... so why am I stuck here...?
"Damn, that guy seems even Rage now?"
Qiao Ran and Cynthia could clearly sense Tapu Koko's emotional shift; the manic power and the omnipresent lightning and thunder all attested to this.
"... It might be because of Tapu Lele."
Qiao Ran shared his guess: the Tapu already knew each other, and judging from Tapu Lele's attitude towards Tapu Bulu, the relationship between the Tapu wasn't entirely "perfectly good." On the contrary, they seemed to have some minor conflicts.
Tapu Koko's Rage was far more terrifying than its "calm" state. Although Qiao Ran and Cynthia regained their hope for survival, they ultimately had to face reality in the face of this catastrophe-like thunderstorm.
Any Trainer who loses their Pokémon is an incredibly vulnerable being.
The idea of slaying gods with a mortal body ultimately exists only in fantastical fantasies. In this world created by Pokémon and governed by Rules Pokémon, despite humanity's exceptional wisdom and the creation of countless civilizations, some Rules and barriers remain insurmountable.
"So... we've already come this far?"
I think so.
After all that commotion, Qiao Ran and Cynthia finally calmed down. They didn't speak, but stopped walking, looked at each other, and then gave each other a final hug.
Unlike novice Trainer, they are all skilled at commanding operations and have their own grasp of the situation. The current situation is that, no matter what, there is no glimmer of hope in sight.
In the end, they calmed down.
The two might still want to say something to each other, but Tapu Koko in the sky probably won't give them another chance.
Cynthia once fantasized that if everything were alright, she and Qiao Ran could also share their interests in that peaceful world, whether it was Pokémon or world history. They would definitely have a lot in common. Besides Caitlin, she could also bring another person along when she went out, and Qiao Ran seemed to enjoy traveling as well.
Those are things that might happen in dreams, not things that are actually happening now.
"Koke!"
The Island deity, with his Red eyes, naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. A thick bolt of lightning pierced through the empty chaos, tearing apart countless flowing lightning snakes, and finally crashed down directly above Qiao Ran and Cynthia's heads.
This is Tapu Koko's Punishment for humanity.
Qiao Ran and Cynthia didn't close their eyes, but looked at each other, quietly waiting for something. From the moment they embarked on this journey, they probably already expected this moment to come, but when it arrived, no matter how calm they appeared, they still felt a sense of resentment.
"..."
It's over.
These three words flashed through Qiao Ran's mind once again.
The end he had been waiting for had arrived.
However--
This time, he still did not wait for that final "judgment".
"Huh?"
Even after waiting for three or four seconds, the scene I had imagined countless times still did not happen.
Both he and Cynthia showed a hint of surprise on their faces, but when they looked up at the sky again, they saw an incredibly shocking scene.
A transparent barrier stretched across the air, severing the lightning bolt that struck down from the sky. Golden electricity surged outwards like ocean waves. Centered on that invisible barrier, the entire sky and earth were divided into two distinct and clearly defined parts: one end was as bright as day, while the other end was dark and gloomy.
"That is..."
However, Qiao Ran's attention was not on this amazing sight; instead, he caught sight of a small, pink figure.
She hid behind that barrier stretching across the sky, raising her two small, black hands to maintain this shield that held back everything.
"Tete...!"
The familiar voice rang in Qiao Ran's ears once again, gradually spreading across the sky.
And this sudden, all-encompassing being—her name is already obvious.
Qiao Ran took a deep breath; he simply couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Tapu Lele?!"
The moment that pink figure appeared, the golden aura that had covered the Floating Island rapidly dissipated—and soon it was once again tinged with the pink energy that Qiao Ran was familiar with, as if covering everything in sight with a thin pink film.
This is Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain, a special Ability belonging to the Island deity, when she appears...
At that time, the entire Battle Court will change accordingly.
But...
Tapu Lele's appearance in this world is something that shouldn't have happened; no matter how you look at it, she shouldn't be here.
"No... maybe, using certain methods, she can get here too?"
Having survived the ordeal, Qiao Ran could not deny the sight before him. He and Cynthia were able to stand here unharmed thanks to each other.
--Since she was able to exist here, she must have done something he didn't know about.
Just like the Shield Dust that shielded him from an attack before... Is there some connection between them?
Qiao Ran lost in thought, but the energy fluctuations in the sky were gradually subsiding, the surging lightning was slowly dissipating, and the transparent barrier that had been obscuring the sky was also slowly disappearing. Two Tapu, one gold and one pink, Levitate in the sky, calmly gazing at each other.
"..."
Neither of them uttered a word, but soon, their respective energy fluctuations spread across their body surfaces.
Golden lightning and pink Psychic clashed as the two Tapu darted through the air, occasionally unleashing Hurricane from the energy collisions. However, unlike before, Tapu Lele was now clearly controlling her power, trying to avoid hitting the Floating Island with her attacks. On the other hand, Tapu Koko was no longer so restrained, freely unleashing her lightning.
"Cynthia!"
"Um!"
Qiao Ran and Cynthia still needed to constantly dodge each other's attacks, but with the appearance of Tapu Lele, the pressure on the two of them had been greatly reduced. Moreover, Qiao Ran didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he and Cynthia seemed to have gained experience in dodging.
The standoff in the sky continued, but after a swift exchange, both Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele retreated a distance. Facing Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko realized that she couldn't gain any advantage. Although Tapu Koko was naturally fast, Tapu Lele wasn't much slower, and her Special Attack stat of 130 was enough to suppress most opponents. Even Tapu Koko, who was also an Island deity, had to admit that she was a terrifying opponent.
Taking advantage of the fact that both sides were retreating, Tapu Lele went directly to Qiao Ran's side.
"Tte..."
Her figure flashed in front of and behind Qiao Ran, as if she were observing his injuries.
"Don't worry, thanks to you, we're all fine."
Qiao Ran forced a smile. He hadn't expected to see Tapu Lele again under these circumstances, and moreover, she had become his last hope for salvation.
How did you get here?
"Tte, tetete..."
Tapu Lele stretched out her hand and gestured to Qiao Ran for a while, but Qiao Ran couldn't quite understand what she was saying. However, he could still grasp the general meaning. In short, she seemed to have indeed come here through some method, and she also seemed to have sensed that Qiao Ran was in danger through some means.
"Tete."
Finally, Tapu Lele floated in front of Qiao Ran and took her hands.
Looking into the other person's eyes, Qiao Ran seemed to sense something.
"You... want to fight alongside me?"
"..." Tapu Lele nodded silently.
"You..."
Qiao Ran was stunned for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something, but at that moment, the opponent's Tapu Koko's attack came. Their opponent wouldn't disconnect while they were chatting; on the contrary, this was a very good opportunity.
A Golden bolt of lightning erupted from Tapu Koko's body, hurtling towards this direction— Thunderbolt!
"Tapu Lele!"
"Protect!!"
A blue light barrier appeared in front of Tapu Lele, directly blocking the opponent's skill. The Golden electric current struck the light barrier, only causing Ripple like splashes of water.
Qiao Ran was already familiar with Tapu Lele's skills. This wasn't because he had trained with Tapu Lele, but because he had memorized all of her fighting methods during their previous battle.
As her former rival, Qiao Ran naturally knew her very well.
"Tapu Lele, Psychic!"
Although Fairy Type Pokémon are not immune to their own type moves, Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain provides a significant boost to Psychic type moves. With its already high Special Attack of 130, Tapu Lele becomes an incredibly formidable turret with the added boost from Psychic Terrain.
If this turret were an opponent, it would definitely give Qiao Ran a huge headache, but fortunately, Tapu Lele is no match for him now; on the contrary, she has become his partner.
Faced with the overwhelming Psychic fluctuations, Tapu Koko had no way to resist. It could only try to escape Tapu Lele's attack range by relying on its speed. As a war god who excels in attack, Tapu Koko's defensive ability is relatively weak among all the Tapu. However, with its proud speed, most skills cannot hit it directly.
And this time is no different.
At this distance
From a distance, it's obviously very difficult to hit Tapu Koko directly with a long-range skill.
But...