Chapter 400

"..."

It was obvious that they had all noticed the strange problem, but because they were too proud to admit it and couldn't let loose, the situation for all three of them was somewhat awkward.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Qiao Ran's forehead.

Don't look at me like that!!!

What do you want me to do?

No, that's not right.

This isn't about taking the initiative or doing things well; it's about... we really have to go into battle tomorrow!

For the next day

Before the battle, Qiao Ran decided that he had to conserve his energy tonight and not do anything strange. However, due to the various messy things that happened yesterday and the day before, things might not always go as Qiao Ran imagined.

Not only him, but the other two probably Bide either.

"Well... I'll go take a shower first."

Qiao Ran decisively ran into the bathroom to calm down, but it was clear that some things were not so easy to calm down... and might even become more and more uncomfortable the more she endured them.

After a night, all three of them had calmed down considerably. Although they were all covered by blankets and the lights were off, and no one knew exactly what had happened, they all tacitly avoided mentioning what had happened the next morning.

Lillie Mei have reached a rare level of understanding, which is a significant step forward for Qiao Ran.

"It's about time we headed to Alola."

After a quick breakfast, the group immediately headed to Exeggutor Island in Alola. Since they had already decided to go to the Altar of the Moone, every minute and second was worth making the most of it. After all, the Altar of the Moone was a bit far away, and the terrain of the Grand Canyon was quite winding and rugged. Although this would reduce the interference from Ultra Beast, it would also mean that they might spend more time on the road.

In short, it's definitely better to get there sooner. Not only them, but Mina and Hapu also finished breakfast early. Although Hapu didn't plan to go with them, as she needed to stay on the island as a safety precaution, she would still come to see Qiao Ran and the others off.

"I never thought I'd see something like this one day."

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Hapu's face was full of emotion. The Island deity and humans had stood together, and they would face even greater troubles together.

Hapu took out two flutes, which were the treasures of Exeggutor Island — the Sun Flute and the Moon Flute, the legendary flutes that could awaken the Child of the Stars.

Hapu walked up to Qiao Ran and handed him the Sun Flute, while she gave the Moon Flute to Lillie, the owner of the Nebby.

Both of them thanked Hapu nodded and smiled slightly.

"We hope you have a safe journey. Everyone on the island will be waiting for you, no matter what the outcome... Everyone hopes you can return safely. If there is any danger, please don't push yourself."

Having participated in the operation the day before yesterday, Hapu knew that unexpected dangers could arise when facing these things. Although she was only unconscious for an afternoon and a night, it was clearly not a pleasant memory.

Therefore, she didn't want Mina or anyone else to force herself; protecting herself should be the top priority. Hapu didn't want to see anyone disappear anymore.

She turned to look at Mina.

"After we've dealt with the Altar of the Moone issue, let's go back to the island together and drive away those Ultra Beasts."

"Um."

Mina looked at her and nodded.

Although Mina's interests extend beyond the island, she will not refuse to serve when needed, after all, this is her home.

With the addition of Mina and Tapu Fini, Qiao Ran and the others' battle strength was further enhanced. Mina's level was roughly the same as Acerola's before; although she hadn't reached the Elite Four level, she was already considered outstanding among Gym Leader. As for Tapu Fini, although her stamina and abilities hadn't fully recovered, her battle strength had already surpassed that of a typical Elite Four-level Pokémon. If she were to recover her full strength, she would most likely be able to break through that level.

As the original gods of Alola, Tapu's base stat total is only 580 in the games, but in reality, their performance has exceeded Qiao Ran's expectations. Or there is another possibility—in the Pokémon World, the strength of these Legendary Pokémon is far greater than Qiao Ran imagined. If the island gods possess such strength, then those Legendary Pokémon that have made a name for themselves across the entire continent probably have the power to destroy the world.

The Legendary Pokémon in this world are far more powerful than Qiao Ran had imagined.

Returning to our current mission, starting from Exeggutor Island, the group quickly flew to the Seafolk Village across the sea and landed on the wooden Seafolk Village.

"... It's been a long time since I've been back."

Mina looked around with a touch of nostalgia, while the Ribombee beside her fluttered up and down, seemingly full of curiosity and interest. Returning to her cherished homeland brought a truly different feeling. Although the Oceanic Residents were naturally adaptable and could settle anywhere, they had developed a connection with this land since establishing their village on Poni Island.

Although

It is said that all the buildings in the Seafolk Village are built on the sea, without ever setting foot on the land of Poni Island. However, returning here in this way is quite nostalgic.

"This is..."

Seeing the damaged gate at the entrance of the Pokémon Center, Mina hesitated for a moment. Clearly, she was unaware of what Qiao Ran and the others had done there. However, judging from the extent of the damage, the gate must have been broken by something powerful.

"It should be... Buzzwole from Ultra Beast?"

Mina couldn't help but say something. After being educated by Qiao Ran and the others, Mina had a pretty good understanding of the types of Ultra Beast, as well as their general habits and weaknesses. Judging from the powerful "destructive force" of this, the one who did this was most likely Buzzwole, an Ultra Beast.

"This is... hahahaha."

Qiao Ran and the others could only twitch their lips and awkwardly brush it off. Anyway, these were minor issues that didn't need to be taken seriously, so they decided not to delve into them.

Starting from the Seafolk Village, the group continued eastward along the coastline. They could clearly see areas covered in trees and grass, and after walking a little further, they reached the entrance to Alola's largest canyon— the Poni Canyon. Further east, the area transformed into a region of hot springs and Rock-type, also the location of Tapu Fini's Afterlife Ruins. Below the Afterlife Ruins, there were likely warm hot springs.

Alola boasts a unique natural landscape, with significant differences even between each island. These differences contribute to Alola's ecological diversity, giving rise to a wide variety of Regional Form Pokémon, including many subspecies that are popular throughout the Pokémon World.

"This is Hapu's house; she used to live here."

At the entrance to the Grand Canyon, Qiao Ran and the others saw a low-lying hut. Next to the hut were many abandoned fields. According to Mina, this was Hapu's former home. Hapu's family had been farmers living on the island for generations. Apart from Hapu's family, there weren't many people left living on Poni Island.

Due to its unique terrain unsuitable for human habitation and the scarcity of arable land, Poni Island has remained undeveloped by modern means. Many people born on Poni Island have gone to other islands in Alola after growing up, but the Hapu family has persisted in living here, and they have been very powerful Ground-type Pokémon Trainer for generations.

"As for the Altar of the Moone, it's located at the end of the Grand Canyon. If we speed up, we should be able to reach it before noon."

Taking into account the battle and other factors, Mina made a rather conservative estimate.

"For the average person visiting here for the first time, it would probably take a whole day to reach the Altar of the Moone. The Poni Canyon is not only the most dangerous pass in Alola, but also a natural maze where it's easy to get lost. But don't worry, with me here."

Mina smiled. Over the past few years, she had come here often to gather inspiration, and she knew the terrain like the back of her hand, even better than she knew her own home. After all, she couldn't possibly Analytic every detail of her own home, but Mina had studied the Poni Canyon countless times.

Not only will she not get lost here, but she can also lead people to take shortcuts, and each shortcut can save a lot of time.

Of course, it wasn't just her; Tapu Fini could actually do something similar. However, since Mina was leading the way, Tapu Fini was happy to take it easy, only occasionally taking action to deal with Ultra Beast that tried to cause trouble. Tapu Fini was generally quite laid-back throughout the Pokémon, almost exactly like the one Qiao Ran encountered in that Torn World. She avoided battles whenever possible, and if she did fight, it was usually only when she could guarantee victory and avoid getting hurt.

Even so, it took Qiao Ran and the others considerable effort and time to finally reach the location where they could see the Altar of the Moone. The reason for this, besides the Ultra Beast that came to their rescue, was the complex terrain.

Standing atop the cliff opposite the Altar of the Moone, gazing at the Altar on the other side, a strange sense of awe welled up within me. The entire mountain, the entire peak, had been transformed into part of the Altar. Atop those towering stone steps that seemed to ascend to the heavens, a colossal Altar, as if created by Giant, stood before us. Its tall, uniquely shaped stone tablet directly blocked the oncoming sunlight, casting a shadow on the other side that resembled a colossal behemoth.

It's hard to imagine how the Alola dynasty managed to complete this project, but it's a truly impressive Ruins, whether Analytic from an aesthetic or otherwise.

However, besides what they could see, what truly impressed Qiao Ran and the others was the massive amount of dark purple mist surrounding the Ruins. Compared to what Qiao Ran had seen in the previous Tapu Ruins, this was simply incomparable. If those were small streams...

What's in front of us is a mighty river.

"That... what exactly is it...?"

Among the crowd, Mina was probably the only one seeing these things for the first time, and unsurprisingly, she froze on the spot. An unsettling feeling lingered in her mind.

"This color... it's disgusting."

Mina frowned, making no attempt to hide her disgust. Whether viewed from the perspective of an ordinary person, a Trainer, or an artist, this thing could not bring any sense of comfort. Just a few glances were enough to give one the illusion of spiritual pollution.

Although she didn't know the exact meaning of these things, she already had a general idea in her mind.

These... are probably one of the reasons why Qiao Ran and the others came here.

"Let's go, let's try to get to the other side first. There's no point in staying here any longer." Qiao Ran looked at the group and interrupted their thoughts.

To ascend the Altar of the Moone and sound the Moon Flute and the Sun Flute, the "thick fog" surrounding the Altar must first be dispelled. And this process is likely to be the highlight of today's event.

Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen...

Qiao Ran muttered to himself, he didn't expect everything to go smoothly, but once he encountered this thick fog, he would most likely have to go to that strange world to solve the problem.

In the Pokémon World, he could ask other girls for help with other problems, such as Cynthia, whose strength was enough to solve many problems. However, in that Torn World, he would have to rely on himself for everything.

Let's go.

Qiao Ran glanced at the people around him, then took the first step towards the foot of the opposite mountain.

Faced with a "mountain" completely shrouded in strange fog, they couldn't just plunge in headfirst; it was better to start from a safer spot.

At the end of the canyon, which is also the highest peak in the Grand Canyon, stands like a beacon or a pointer to the sky. The Alola Altar of the Moone is also located here.

Upon reaching the bottom of the summit, looking at the endless staircase stretching before them, Qiao Ran and the others exchanged glances and took a step forward.

Near the Altar of the Moone shrouded in Haze, there were no Ultra Beast. These Ultra Beast have an instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, and they are especially sensitive when faced with this kind of special danger.

Unlike the Ruins suppressed by Tapu, the Haze at the Altar of the Moone is significantly more "unrestrained." If the Ultra Beast still can't sense it, they probably won't have crossed worlds to find a better habitat in the Pokémon World.

"Alright."

After walking uphill for a while, Qiao Ran looked back at the height below. Even though they hadn't reached the halfway point, they could already overlook most of the canyon. Looking at the winding canyon road, he felt a sense of control over everything.

Then, Qiao Ran turned her attention to the people behind her.

"That's enough for you all. I can handle the rest of the way by myself."

After their previous experiences, Qiao Ran and the other girls all knew that this dark purple mist was Qiao Ran's one-way street, and no matter how closely they followed her, they couldn't achieve any effect.

Therefore, instead of Sheer Force following him and distracting Qiao Ran, it's better to stop here and let him run wild.

Tapu Fini looked at Qiao Ran and nodded.

She also knew that only Qiao Ran could do all this; there was no other candidate.

"I..."

Mina, unaware of the specific reasons, seemed to want to say something, but was still refused by Qiao Ran. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

"Mina, you're in the same boat. Hapu's previous coma was related to this. We might be able to resist it, but you're a bit different; it could be dangerous for you."

Hearing Qiao Ran's words, Mina just nodded blankly, but what she was focusing on seemed a little off.

"I... am not quite the same?"

Is there anything about me that makes me different from others? And Qiao Ran mentioned the name Hapu, are there any similarities between me and Hapu?

Mina couldn't understand, and looked at Qiao Ran with some confusion. However, Qiao Ran didn't answer, but just smiled and shook his head. Then, he quickly stepped onto the steps behind him and disappeared into the thick black-purple fog.

From initial fear and rejection to now accepting it all with equanimity, he has nothing left to be afraid of or conflicted about.

"Qiao Ran?"

Mina seemed startled by Qiao Ran's actions and instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Mei and Lillie beside her quickly grabbed her arms.

"Let him go, he can do it."

"Yes."

Mina is different from them. They have a "Pokémon" identity, while Mina is completely human. Judging from Hapu and Lana's reactions, ordinary humans have little resistance in this Haze. Even a short period of contact will cause them to fall into a prolonged coma. If the contact time is longer, it will probably produce even more serious consequences.

Severe consequences.

Moreover, and most importantly, even if Mina went forward now, she wouldn't be able to do anything, and would only interfere with Qiao Ran. Rather than doing anything, it would be better to just wait quietly here.

With Qiao Ran's abilities, he can definitely handle all of this.

Throughout the journey, Qiao Ran's performance has been so reassuring that Lillie and the others have long since entrusted everything to this man.

At times like these, it's best to try your best to trust him.

However, just as Lillie and Mei were saying this, a faint light emanated from Lillie's bag.

"What is this...?"

Lillie finally realized this after being reminded by Acerola, though she herself couldn't quite grasp it.

So she quickly took her small bag to see what was inside, but something unexpected happened...

Torn World.

This was also the first time Qiao Ran had voluntarily stepped into this Torn World.

In the previous instances, whether on Ula'ula Island or Melemele Island, they were always drawn into these situations when unexpected events occurred. During this time, Qiao Ran and Cynthia even attempted a few small "struggles" to try and extract more information from each other. However, it proved to be quite difficult for them to fully comprehend these things, given their current level of intelligence or human wisdom.

However, one thing is certain: as long as he enters the fog, enters that world, and resolves the "trouble" within, the root of everything can be resolved. This is why he voluntarily stepped into it.

Since we can't avoid it, we might as well face it proactively and accept it with equanimity.

"Wake up, wake up, how long are you going to sleep?"

When Qiao Ran opened his eyes again, the familiar voice had been Uproar in his ears for a long time. He couldn't get rid of it or ignore it. Qiao Ran had no choice but to open his eyes and see what was going on around him.