Chapter 392

"Other things...?"

Mina and Hapu both looked at the boy with some curiosity. Mina didn't recognize Qiao Ran, but from an artistic point of Analytic, he seemed to have a decent physique. As for Hapu, she had seen the Pokémon Qiao Ran used on the shore before. Although she was just a "farmer" on the island, she was, after all, the granddaughter of the Island Kahuna, and she seemed to have some knowledge of what that Pokémon looked like...

Could that thing be Legendary Pokémon from some region?

Or perhaps it's some kind of mutated Braviary?

"Another thing is that we need to borrow two flutes from Exeggutor Island."

Qiao Ran paused for a moment.

"... We need to go to the Altar of the Moone."

"The Altar of the Moone?" Both Hapu and Mina couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. This term was not unfamiliar to the residents of Poni Island, but that place was usually deserted, and even they rarely went there. However, Mina herself was probably the most familiar with the terrain of the Altar of the Moone.

--Although it's a remote place, she still often travels through the canyons there to gather material for her paintings. Alola's natural terrain has a unique charm, and this kind of terrain has never been seen in other parts of the Pokémon World.

To create good work, she needs to find this unique kind of stimulation.

"What... do you want to do there? There's nothing special there, is there? And using the flute..."

Mina looked at Qiao Ran. The reason why the Seafolk Village was located at the southernmost tip of Poni Island was partly due to its role in overseeing Exeggutor Island. This island possessed the very important treasures "Sun Flute" and "Moon Flute." However, those treasures had long since become ancient legends. Although the flutes were indeed on the island, every Oceanic Residents had long forgotten their original duty.

"Because we really need to go."

Qiao Ran gestured to Lillie with his eyes, and Lillie nodded and took out a special Poké Ball from her backpack.

With a flash of light, Pokémon with a unique appearance, resembling a sleeping cocoon, appeared before everyone. Its body was encased in a hard, golden shell, while at its center, it seemed to contain the universe, appearing vast and boundless. It Levitate quietly in front of everyone, swaying up and down.

"... Child of the Stars?"

"This... is indeed..."

The moment Mina and Hapu saw Nebby, they seemed to immediately associate the Pokémon before them with a certain image.

"That's right... it's exactly what's depicted on the Murals of the Altar of the Moone!"

Mina stood up gently. She had studied the paintings on the Altar of the Moone many, many times, and they had given her a lot of reference for her painting. The main character, "Child of the Stars," which was emphasized in the paintings, had left a very deep impression on her.

"It looks even more beautiful in person than in the painting..."

Within that blue-purple core, the universe and stars flowed, each moment radiating a unique luster. This beauty seemed not to exist in this world, nor was it something that should exist in this world. Yet, it could attract anyone's attention at a glance, especially an artist like Mina who pursued beauty and wonder. When she witnessed this extraordinary and incomprehensible scene, her inspiration and desires surged forth.

This is indeed an absolutely stunning beauty.

"So that means you want to go to the Altar of the Moone because you want to awaken the power of the Child of the Stars, just like in the legends?"

Hapu, standing to the side, had no idea about beauty or anything like that. Her thinking was much more practical than Mina's. However, when she saw the Child of the Stars appear and heard that Qiao Ran and the others were going to the Altar of the Moone, she couldn't help but get excited.

In legend, the two "legendary Pokémon" that saved Alola were those who averted Alola crisis at the Altar of the Moone. Will they be able to do the same this time?

The legend... is about to truly unfold before her eyes!

She truly never imagined that she would one day witness such a thing.

"Yes, we want to awaken its power."

Qiao Ran nodded, but a somewhat amused and exasperated expression remained on his face.

"... Also, it's been sleeping for far too long. If it doesn't wake up soon, we're really having a headache."

Not only him, Lillie and the others also miss the time when Nebby was still around. Although it wasn't a very long time back then, it still feels like yesterday when they think about it.

"I see."

Mina nodded, seemingly understanding everything. She smiled and winked at Qiao Ran.

"Alright then, if you want the flute, we'll help you with that. If you need any other assistance, feel free to let me know, and Hapu and I will do our best to help."

Mina very considerately agreed to all of Qiao Ran the others' requests. To express her goodwill, she even invited them to have dinner at her place, even though it was only three or Qiao Ran in the afternoon.

He nodded in agreement.

It seems there's no way to go anywhere else today, so we might as well relax on Exeggutor Island.

They needed to be well-rested for tomorrow's tasks, as they were heading to the Tapu Fini Ruins on the island. There wouldn't be any time to relax then.

Since they finally had a chance to move around freely, Qiao Ran and the others dispersed and went off to do whatever they wanted. Mei and Mei went straight to the depths of the island, supposedly to explore the mysterious giant Exeggutor in Alola. They had never seen such a thing before, having come from other regions. Mei had only seen it once or twice from other Trainer during her adventures.

Acerola and Cynthia chatted with Hapu about the history of Poni Island. As for Qiao Ran and Lillie, they were in Mina's boathouse, looking at her old paintings.

Surprisingly, in many of Mina's paintings, Qiao Ran saw scenes from other regions, scenes that seemed etched deep into his soul, all depicted in these paintings. Although he had never actually been to those places, seeing these paintings gave him an immersive feeling.

A giant cruise ship in Kanto -Vermilion City... Clefairy and Mt. Moon under the moonlight...

"These were all drawn when I went to the Kanto Region as a child."

"...!"

Just as Qiao Ran was lost in his thoughts, Mina had appeared beside him without him noticing, and leaned down slightly with a smile on her face.

"... By the way, when are you leaving for the Altar of the Moone? How about taking me with you?"

As a painter who prefers tranquility, Mina's favorite subject is depicting peaceful and beautiful sunsets. When she was young, she was once so captivated by the sunset at the port on her way back from the Kanto region that she ended up painting for several hours straight on the dock. This caused her to miss the ferry back to Alola, and she would have to wait quite a while for the next one.

After all, Alola was much more isolated back then compared to now, and ships were extremely rare. However, she didn't feel regretful because she had captured the most beautiful moment of that time.

Back in Alola, having taken over as Captain, Mina can no longer freely travel to other regions for extended periods as she used to. The scenery of Alola has inspired her greatly, but to make a breakthrough, to surpass her previous level, and to transcend the realm she reached as a child, Mina feels she needs to see more.

When Qiao Ran and the others talked to them before, Hapu's words gave her a whole new inspiration.

"Um... are you going to do the same thing as the legends?"

That's right.

The only things that could bring her new excitement and feelings were those legendary Pokémon, like the "Star Cocoon" that Levitate in the air before. Its wondrous luster and boundless expanse, the beauty it contained, were beyond her comprehension. She couldn't even imagine how she could capture it by drawing it.

This also presented her with a considerable challenge, a feeling she had rarely experienced recently.

"... By the way, when are you leaving for the Altar of the Moone? How about taking me with you?"

This is also the reason why she came to Qiao Ran and said these words as if possessed. In addition to fulfilling her responsibility as the Captain and doing her best to protect the island and the Alola Region, she also wanted to witness the legendary scene in person, which would definitely be another amazing masterpiece.

--The best moment.

"You want to come along too?"

Upon hearing Mina's words, Qiao Ran was slightly taken aback, but he quickly nodded.

"Of course, that's possible... and if we're going to get there, it would be best to have someone familiar with the island's terrain to guide us."

When arriving at an unfamiliar island, it's best to have a local help to point out the right way, reducing the risk of danger and unexpected situations. While some teams may have local acquaintances on certain islands, seeking help from locals is still essential in other places.

--Especially for this last and most important island, Mina, who often travels through the canyons, is simply the best guide.

"Actually, even if you hadn't brought these things up, we probably would have invited you anyway."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Mina smiled somewhat embarrassedly. She rarely made requests of others, and today's action was something she "really wanted" to do.

Unexpectedly, the other person had the same idea as her.

"Yes, because we also need a guide who is familiar with the island. Although Acerola and the others have been here before, they are still not very familiar with the area. If we have a local, we can also use the terrain to plan our next tactics."

Qiao Ran smiled as well. Mina's voice sounded soft and gentle, somewhat enigmatic like the Fairy Type Pokémon she excelled at. However, after seeing her paintings,

Qiao Ran felt that she understood the other person a little better.

Although all her paintings are based on real landscapes, they possess a very romantic use of color through her brushstrokes. Like these vibrant paintings, she must have been a person with an incredibly rich inner world, full of imagination.

Hearing Qiao Ran and Mina's conversation, Lillie nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, we'd feel much more at ease if you could come with us. After all, you're the only Captain on the island."

After admiring the paintings, Lillie also became interested in the girl in front of her, who was only a few years older than her. The girl looked only a few years older than her, yet she had traveled to so many places and recorded them with her paintbrush. Not only that, she was also a powerful Pokémon Trainer. That was simply too amazing.

"Since you all think that way, then of course that's the best outcome..."

Mina hadn't expected things to go so smoothly; it was like they hit it off immediately. The group quickly got along well, and for the rest of the time, Lillie and Qiao Ran simply stayed in Mina's boathouse, chatting with her about many things.

"Paint?... Hmm... Actually, I usually keep a lot of paint at home, and most of it comes from nature. I'm really good at this kind of thing, so even if I can't buy it, I can make my own."

"... About the travel I used to do? What I did wasn't really travel, it was more like tourism. I used my paintings to earn money, and sometimes I didn't even know where my next meal would come from."

Alola is not a wealthy region, and the Seafolk Village is practically no different from other major cities in Alola, such as Heahea City. Mina was born here, and it can be said that she was able to earn money to travel to other regions entirely because of her talent in painting. Of course, her Pokémon skills were also indispensable.

"Drawing... sometimes I'd like to try it too..."

Lillie looked at Mina with a hint of envy. Lillie had hardly ever been exposed to painting since she was little, mainly because Lusamine didn't like how Lillie would make a mess of paint everywhere when she was young. In Lusamine once threw a tantrum, Lillie never tried to paint again.

At that time, Lusamine was indeed quite obsessed with Lillie.

"Would you like to try? I can teach you right now." Hearing Lillie's words, Mina's eyes lit up. After this brief exchange, she seemed to have taken a liking to this cute blonde girl. For some reason, she felt as if she could see some similarities between herself and the girl.

However, Lillie quickly waved her hand upon hearing this.

"Eh?... No, no, I'll try again next time when I have the chance. I don't want to embarrass myself here now."

Although she really wanted to learn to paint, that wasn't something for her to do right now. Besides, she didn't want to just draw some kind of evil god out of nowhere, especially in front of a master like Mina, where the difference would be even more obvious.

"Just for a little while is fine, I can teach you."

Mina and Lillie started chatting back and forth. Mina kept urging Lillie to try drawing, while Lillie began to make all sorts of excuses. However, listening to their conversation, Qiao Ran suddenly had a little idea.

"What do you guys think... about making a drawing program?"

"Um?"

Qiao Ran's words startled both girls. Lillie seemed to understand a little of what Qiao Ran meant, while Mina tilted her head, completely clueless about what Qiao Ran was talking about.

Programme?

What exactly is this show?

That's right.

Qiao Ran's expression shifted, and he simply explained to Mina right there that he came from another world, and also revealed more details.

Qiao Ran did have some thoughts about Mina's drawing skills. Mina was very good at drawing scenes and landscapes. Of course, her Pokémon and portrait drawings were also quite good. Every stroke and every color had its own characteristics. It was precisely because of these abilities that her paintings were also very good at evoking emotions in other people.

Then... why can't we make videos from Mina's drawings? That way, we could even blatantly include some landmark scenes from the Pokémon World in the videos!

What could be more appealing than the most distinctive landmarks in the Pokémon World? Some Pokémon World Trainer might watch their videos but still not understand the coded messages, but these landscapes etched in their minds are different; they are completely explicit.

Most importantly, they do need to produce more videos now and attract more viewers to their video accounts so they can earn more money and avoid starving to death on the streets in the future.

"You... you guys are from another world???"

Upon hearing this news, Mina was once again struck by an unprecedented blow. She thought that what she had seen, heard, and experienced today was already astonishing enough, but now she had heard something even more unprecedented.

Otherworlder appeared before her!

No, no, no

Yes, only Qiao Ran is from another world; I'm not from Otherworlder.

Lillie, who was caught in the crossfire, could only wave her hand to explain her identity: she had lived in the Pokémon World since she was a child, and she was not from Otherworlder.

"I see, he's the only Otherworlder, no wonder..."

Previously, Mina Frisk something different about Qiao Ran; this was probably just the intuition of a Fairy Type Trainer.

"... Otherworld... is it the same as the Pokémon World?"

Upon hearing this astonishing news, Mina's first reaction wasn't to doubt or question, but rather to display considerable curiosity and develop an intense interest in everything about this Otherworld.

Qiao Ran answered the girl's questions very enthusiastically.

If someone from the Pokémon World can become interested in and like their world, it's a pretty good "experience" for them. No one dislikes someone liking their hometown, and in fact, both the Real World and the Pokémon World have their own unique charm.

There was still plenty of time this afternoon, and even after the afternoon, there was still the evening. So, Qiao Ran and the others made the most of this rare moment of leisure. Their conversation with Mina was relaxed and enjoyable, especially her boundless imagination and curiosity, which made Qiao Ran take a few more glances at the girl.

"... So, you want me to help record some drawing videos? To draw some famous scenes from the Pokémon World and attract people from the Pokémon World."

"Yes, that's exactly right."

Qiao Ran nodded. This was certainly one of his thoughts, and also his main one. On the other hand, he also hoped to find someone who could help him make videos.

Of course, these are just some ideas for now. They still have a lot to do, and they don't know if they'll be able to see Mina often. However, Qiao Ran thinks his idea is pretty good.

"If you need payment, we can try to find a way within our means... However, the currencies in the two worlds are different. If all else fails, I'll bring you the supplies you need."

"Hmm... it sounds really good."

Qiao Ran's words made Mina think. It would help people from other Pokémon World, allow Qiao Ran to gain some benefits, and then help her exchange for some resources from another world. This was indeed a condition that was hard to refuse.