Chapter 401

"Get up! Get up! Get up!"

The moment he opened his eyes, he could still hear the other person calling his name tirelessly, and he could only show a helpless expression.

"I'm awake. Aren't I already awake?"

What appeared before him was, without a doubt, that familiar Light Orb, and the world around her was that repulsive, Distortion World.

However, unlike before, the surrounding environment seemed to have changed drastically. The sparse Floating Island that were before seemed to have grown much larger. He even saw an island made of steps. Compared to the "islands" made of those Ruins before, this one was almost like an entire mountain that had been moved over.

"This..."

This power is beyond the imagination of ordinary humans and Pokémon. This huge mountain, along with the Altar on it, is like a series of small Lego pieces Levitate randomly in this space. And each of these small pieces is a huge "Monster" to Qiao Ran.

"Is there anything you'd like to say?"

Qiao Ran directly raised his question to the Light Orb. Knowing that she liked to beat around the bush, Qiao Ran decided to be direct himself.

"For example, some intelligence here, what I might face next, and how to deal with it?"

"No. If I had to say, it's the same as before."

The Light Orb didn't change the subject, but her answer still felt the same—it was as good as saying nothing at all. She was a master of playing dumb.

However, just as Qiao Ran was thinking this, the voice of the Light Orb suddenly became serious.

"... What I might need to be careful about is..."

"This situation is even more complicated than before, but I believe in you."

Although her attitude suddenly became somewhat serious, making Qiao Ran a little uneasy, she could sense the emotions behind her words.

However—after listening to each word, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"... That's all?"

That's it???

Whether it's complicated or difficult is simply a pointless question. Looking at the various enormous floating Floating Island in the sky and the incredibly unique Altar of the Moone, even Qiao Ran himself probably wouldn't believe it if he said it wasn't difficult.

However, Qiao Ran couldn't be sure what kind of difficulties she would encounter this time.

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be Pokémon similar to those "Island deity" here.

That's all. Anyway, there's no point in telling you anything else; there's nothing you can do about it now.

Looking at the refined and easygoing Qiao Ran, the Light Orb also started to slack off on the spot. Their relationship had gradually evolved from the polite and respectful way they met at their first meeting to the current state. It could be said that everyone had their own responsibility, and Qiao Ran felt that this guy's riddle-like way of speaking and his extremely arrogant attitude were simply the culprits.

"Who says I can't do anything? I'm just..."

Taking advantage of the opponent's inattention, Qiao Ran launched a sneak attack with a flying pounce, intending to grab the Light Orb into his arms. However, even though he was a fraction of a second slower, the opponent was far faster than him. By the time Qiao Ran lunged forward, the Light Orb had already dodged to the side, and Qiao Ran fell directly to the ground.

"Hehehehehe."

Hearing the voice coming from beside him, a crease appeared on Qiao Ran's temple.

It hardened; its fist hardened.

"Don't be silly, humans can't surpass Pokémon."

After laughing for a while, the Light Orb still kindly reminded Qiao Ran of something.

Even if you've been enhanced by some kind of power, you're still not quite the same as a pure Pokémon. If you want to encounter me, it's better to rely on the power of Pokémon ~

Although her words sounded somewhat reasonable, the more Qiao Ran listened, the more she felt that the other person was ruthlessly mocking her.

Can he draw upon the power of Pokémon? There aren't any of his Pokémon here at all!

"Never mind, where are we going this time?"

Qiao Ran ultimately decided to put those aside for now. His priority was to resolve the problem here. Only by addressing it would the dark purple mist surrounding the Altar dissipate. At that time, he and Lillie could stand in the center of the pools on either side of the Altar and play the Sun Flute and Moon Flute to awaken the sleeping Nebby.

"Come with me."

Hearing Qiao Ran's words, the Light Orb did not hesitate and immediately led the way. Since each Floating Island was quite huge this time, the difficulty of Qiao Ran's movement was actually much easier than before. Previously, each Floating Island was only a tiny bit in size, and he had to consider whether he would tip over and slip when he stepped on it. But now, he no longer had this problem. His most frequent task changed from jumping between Floating Island to moving on the Floating Island.

However, perhaps because the Floating Island had grown so much larger, Qiao Ran's journey this time took the longest. Even after overcoming numerous obstacles, he still hadn't reached the final destination.

Finally, after taking what felt like the umpteenth step, a "Floating Island" with a shape he recognized all too well appeared in the distance. The shape of the Floating Island was exactly like the huge stone tablet on the Altar of the Moone, engraved with Alola- style patterns, full of exotic flavor.

"That is..."

Qiao Ran closely and saw that above the Floating Island, there seemed to be a thick fog, like a black hole, obscuring something.

"Go and see for yourself."

"Too."

So, Qiao Ran took his first step toward the last Floating Island. After a burst of speed, Qiao Ran stepped onto the Floating Island formed by the stone tablet, and the Haze above the Floating Island became even clearer at this moment.

"..."

Qiao Ran frowned, observing the situation. However, under his gaze, the Haze gradually surged and then changed shape, as if a body was being sculpted in front of him.

The figure gradually became clearer, startling Qiao Ran.

--It was actually a majestic-looking Lion, with strong limbs and a long mane. On its face, there was a special mane shaped like a sun wheel, making the entire Pokémon appear incredibly tall.

--Solgaleo, the Beast that Devours the Sun.

That's its name.

However, unlike all the Island deity he had encountered before, who were merely entangled in strange things that ignited the negative emotions within them, the Qiao Ran encountered today seemed to be an even more advanced and bizarre being than any Island deity.

Furthermore, was this originally a real Pokémon, or merely a fabricated illusion?

"... What exactly is this?"

Qiao Ran looked at the Light Orb beside her, hoping to glean some information about it. However, the Light Orb was quick to give her a perfunctory answer, as it only had a superficial understanding of some things itself. Nevertheless, at the end of the conversation, it added a sentence.

"You should know about this. Didn't you see it many times when you were over there?"

"...!"

Qiao Ran was startled. Many times?

Could it be that... this thing is...

"Is it similar to what I saw in the Unova Region before?"

Qiao Ran frowned. The only relevant thing he could think of right now was probably the Genesect and Hoopa he had seen in the Unova Region. Those Pokémon were not their Pokémon forms, but were made up of some kind of strange "being". After Defeat those Pokémon, they would disappear on the spot, instead of returning to their original forms like these Tapu.

If Qiao Ran had to find something similar in the past, these were the only things she could think of.

However, when he said this and looked at the Light Orb beside him, wanting to hear her opinion, the Light Orb was silent for a second, and then uttered a sentence.

"... I can't say."

A tic-tac-toe mark immediately appeared on Qiao Ran's forehead. "..."

This guy, he's done for.

They're all just messing with me, aren't they?

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't catch her, Qiao Ran would definitely have pinned her to the ground and rubbed her to vent his old and new grudges. However, she was like a slippery eel, and Qiao Ran really didn't have any good ways to deal with her.

"Stop thinking about these things. Instead, let's think about how to end the battle."

The Light Orb changed the subject, but what she said made sense. Getting angry with her wouldn't do any good. Every time Qiao Ran came to this world, he could only take it one step at a time, proceeding methodically and cautiously in every battle.

Perhaps it's really as she said: right now, I don't really need to know too many things.

However, more than the hidden truths, Qiao Ran was also concerned about the reasons why the other party was concealing them. Even though he had already discovered that something was wrong, the other party was trying her best to maintain this clumsy lie. Her reasons for concealing it were probably not just these.

"Roar!!!!"

Solgaleo, formed from dark purple mist, let out a terrifying roar, radiating a chilling purple light across the sky like an inverted version of the Sun.

The Beast that Devours the Sun is also the embodiment of the Sun itself. However, the fake Solgaleo that appeared in front of Qiao Ran was completely different from the Sun in Qiao Ran's memory. Instead, it looked full of evil and a creepy aura.

"... I should go now."

The Light Orb muttered to itself, and soon its figure completely disappeared, transforming into a Poké Ball that landed in Qiao Ran's hand.

"..."

Holding the familiar sphere in his hand, feeling its familiar weight, Qiao Ran closed his eyes and briefly considered the current battle situation.

Solgaleo – This is a Legendary Pokémon with both Steel and Psychic types. Although its abilities are quite powerful, standing out among Legendary Pokémon, as its "remake," this strange-looking Solgaleo will likely have similar abilities and types. If we consider this, its weaknesses become Ground, Ghost type, Fire, and Dark.

However, not all four attributes are the most suitable. For example, Ground-type skills are not easy to use on Floating Island. If used carelessly, they will not only destroy the Floating Island where you have finally found a foothold, but most of the time they will also drag Qiao Ran into the range of the skills. If he were to be hit by an Earthquake on the spot, he probably wouldn't be able to survive even if he had 100,000 lives.

As for the Ghost-type, Mimikyu's abilities are not bad, but they are still far inferior to Solgaleo's. The most important point is that, given Mimikyu's size, it is basically impossible for it to move between Floating Island. In that case, Qiao Ran would have to act as a support, carrying her to escape, which would be exhausting.

Excluding Ground and Ghost types, Reshiram, with her Fire type, is indeed a good choice. Thanks to those Ultra Beasts are weak to Fire, her abilities have recently been greatly enhanced, and she probably wouldn't be at a disadvantage even in a battle like this. Yveltal, with her Dark type, is also a good choice. As her long-time partner, Yveltal is always very reliable in battle, and the Dark type allows her to Yveltal -Psychic type moves.

Both of them are good choices, and both can fly. Unlike when they faced Tapu Fini and had no one available, Qiao Ran is now a bit conflicted about which one to send out.

Finally, after a few seconds of thought, Qiao Ran made his final decision. Yveltal had indeed fought him many times, and it was time to give other Pokémon. Moreover, if the opponent was Solgaleo, Reshiram would be a more suitable choice.

After all, it is well known that the top-tier Legendary Pokémon's combat power is largely reflected in their unique moves.

For example, Yveltal's Oblivion Wing and Zacian's Behemoth Blade are unique skills with destructive power and effects that surpass ordinary skills. It can even be said that as long as the opponent's unique move is blocked, the opponent's threat level drops by a level. Unique moves are like weapons tailor-made for them. When this weapon fails, many problems arise.

Solgaleo's signature move is Steel-type, and Reshiram, a Fire/ Dragon-type, can halve Steel-type damage, significantly reducing the opponent's effectiveness in battle. Although Reshiram cannot ignore Psychic type like Yveltal, the ability to halve the damage of a signature move alone is enough for Qiao Ran to choose her.

"Oh well."

Qiao Ran lowered his head, then slightly raised it, and threw the Poké Ball in his hand with all his might.

"--I've chosen you!"

"Reshiram!"

"Roar!!!!"

As the blazing flames burned before Qiao Ran, a giant dragon, three or four meters long and entirely white, emerged from the flames.

On her head, white fur swayed like flames behind her head, while her tail resembled a turbine.

Like an engine, it continuously generates the energy of the flames, shooting out a large number of sparks.

Fire is the energy that drives Reshiram, and the source of her power lies in the reality of this world.

Even the opposite Antimatter World is a real plane; it's not virtual.

"Owner."

Reshiram glanced at Qiao Ran, then looked at his opponent this time.

Qiao Ran already knew about all of his Pokémon, so after gaining a basic understanding of the situation, Reshiram understood the significance of his visit.

That was the Pokémon that Defeat the opponent—his opponent this time.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!!"

Seemingly because of Reshiram's arrival, Solgaleo on the opposite side also let out a deafening roar. Purple light began to gather from the top of its head, and then, like an Energy Beam, it directly Slash the air in front of it and shot towards Reshiram.

Undoubtedly, this was a skill from Psychic type. However, Reshiram did not panic. Instead, he Spit Up out blazing flames from his mouth, which Tackle with the opponent's energy.

Taking advantage of this time, Reshiram flapped his wings and Agility in the air, dodging the opponent's subsequent Pursuit.

"Such powerful force."

The explosion in the air made Qiao Ran cover his ears. Although it was just a collision, Qiao Ran could clearly feel the difference in power between Reshiram and the opponent's skills. Although Reshiram was very strong, it was at a complete disadvantage in the fight. This Solgaleo's stats were probably much higher than Qiao Ran's Reshiram.

"Could they have really simulated Solgaleo's entire power level...?"

Qiao Ran pouted, jumped onto the back of Reshiram that was flying towards her, and tightly gripped the long white fur behind her.

The next moment, Solgaleo unleashed a blazing white beam of light from his mouth, piercing the surface of the Floating Island at incredible speed. As the power surged, the entire Floating Island seemed to crackle and pop, and soon countless fissures appeared on Floating Island surface. From between these fissures, white energy began to radiate from the point of impact.

"Click."

Next, Qiao Ran heard a crisp sound, and the Floating Island, which was originally of a certain size, simply disintegrated in front of him. Countless shattered Stone Blocks floated in the air, while Qiao Ran held onto Reshiram's body, maintaining his posture.

Under turbocharged conditions, Reshiram's speed was transformed. Moreover, in order to dodge attacks in the air, Reshiram had to constantly spin or flip his body. As the temporary dragon knight, Qiao Ran could only suppress his nausea and try to hold on to Reshiram's body to prevent himself from falling directly from the sky.

As the Floating Island collapsed, Solgaleo decisively jumped onto another Floating Island, while Qiao Ran, after stabilizing himself, had Reshiram put him down first.

If Reshiram were to constantly have her by her side, it would inevitably interfere with her combat.

Fusion Flare!

The relentless attacks from the enemy were becoming too much for Qiao Ran and Reshiram to handle. Therefore, in order to seize the initiative, Qiao Ran ordered Reshiram to use her skill.