Chapter 406

"Qiao Ran?"

Mina, who was not far away, was startled by Qiao Ran's appearance and immediately reached out to support him. With Mina's help, Qiao Ran finally caught his breath.

"Qiao Ran, are you alright?"

"... How about we take a short break?"

"Yes, you're not injured, are you? Let me check you over."

The other girls were also startled by this sudden gesture and quickly gathered around, grabbing Qiao Ran's arm and showering him with concern. Qiao Ran had actually been like this before; at times, he was really too hardworking, to the point that people were worried about him, especially Lillie Mei. They didn't want anything to happen to Qiao Ran; some things, once you have them, you might never want to lose them again.

"... It's nothing... I'm just a little tired. The battle in that world was... a bit intense."

Qiao Ran waved his hand, revealing a smile that told them not to worry too much. In fact, what he said was not wrong. The physical wounds had already been healed by Tapu Lele's Shield Dust. The reason he was like this now was because he had exhausted too much mental energy, but this mental exhaustion was far from being fatal.

"How suspicious..."

"Yeah, yeah, is it really just a little intense?"

However, the girls didn't believe Qiao Ran's explanation. So, they decided to take turns helping Qiao Ran up the Altar, and during this process, Qiao Ran would have to explain what had happened.

At the same moment, Tapu Fini was also watching all of this happening in front of him with curiosity.

Is this... how humans interact?

That's so strange.

Explaining everything that happened in the Distortion World is not actually a difficult thing. Although Qiao Ran experienced a feeling of time dragging on endlessly in that world, everything was actually not complicated.

"I went to that world, and this time my opponent is Solgaleo. I told you about Solgaleo before, you should remember, right?... But that thing shouldn't be Solgaleo's real body, it's just some kind of imitation."

Solgaleo? No... no way?

Before they arrived, Qiao Ran had already told them about Solgaleo and Lunala, and Acerola and the others had indeed heard of the name before. However, when the name actually appeared here, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

--Facing a Pokémon that's legendary and powerful, is this... the reason Qiao Ran is fighting like this?

"Then I sent Reshiram."

"Reshiram??" Mina, hearing this for the first time, was filled with countless question marks. Wait, Reshiram???

"???"

She opened her mouth for a long time, but she found that everyone present, except for herself, seemed very calm, to the point that she felt like something was wrong with her.

Pokémon with the same name?

If it's Pokémon with the same name, it's understandable that I wouldn't feel surprised, right?

Mina's mind immediately started racing with wild ideas.

Meanwhile, Qiao Ran continued her narration.

"The battle between Reshiram Solgaleo was quite one-sided, as Fire-type Pokémon very effective against Solgaleo's Steel-type, and Reshiram won in a short time. However..."

"However, the first Solgaleo was just the beginning. After it dissipated, it split into two parts. One part was the Solgaleo we had seen before, and the other part was another form of Nebby's final evolution— Lunala."

"Two... two?? There are two of those things??"

No wonder you looked so disheveled...

Hearing Qiao Ran's story, everyone couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Facing two Pokémon like that all by himself was just too far-fetched!

"Reshiram and I were completely overwhelmed, and we almost got into trouble. In the end, we were really grateful to Fini and the others. They suddenly appeared over there and helped us a lot."

Qiao Ran looked at Fini, and Fini smiled slightly and nodded gently in Qiao Ran's direction.

In Qiao Ran's narration, this thrilling story also had many different details. Of course, there were some events that were not very necessary for Qiao Ran to clarify in public, such as Reshiram not following his orders.

Qiao Ran decided to have a proper talk with Reshiram about this later. Although Reshiram meant well, he couldn't just let it go. He had to assert his authority as Trainer on this matter.

If this isn't explained clearly and corrected, she'll definitely suffer a great loss next time she encounters a similar situation.

"This is too dangerous... Thank Tapu and the others can go in too, thanks to Nebby."

Cynthia looked at Qiao Ran with a face full of emotion. What Qiao Ran did was really, really dangerous. If Tapu Fini hadn't slipped into the Ultra Wormhole created by Nebby just before it disappeared, Qiao Ran's fate this time... would probably have been very grim.

Of course, besides these, there was another place that also caught Cynthia's attention.

"By the way, since the Ultra Wormhole that Nebby opened can indeed lead to that Torn World, does that mean that once Nebby evolves into its final form, it will be able to fully control this ability?"

A glint flashed in Cynthia's eyes. She had truly been thinking about this for a long time; not being able to participate in the battles in that world had always been a source of deep regret for her.

Now that she finally has this opportunity, she naturally wants to ask this question carefully.

"Yeah, if Fini can go, then we should have a way, right?"

"Yes, yes, that makes sense."

Upon hearing Cynthia's words, the other girls suddenly realized something, as if they had just thought of something.

Everyone present was Trainer, and no Trainer would shy away from battle. Moreover, they all wanted to help Qiao Ran and alleviate his current pressure. Even though they were already so strong, why couldn't they protect him?

"Hmm... it's definitely something I could consider. Who knows, it might actually work."

Qiao Ran also thought the suggestion had potential, and it might actually be possible to accomplish this function. However, he had never met Lunala and Solgaleo in the real world, so he wasn't sure if they could actually do it.

However, logically speaking, if it could be done before evolution, then doing it after evolution probably shouldn't be a big problem, right?

With everyone taking turns helping them, Qiao Ran and the others finally arrived at the top of the Altar —a place that looked like a plaza.

"From here, you can see the entire island from above."

Qiao Ran and the others could look down directly from above and see the Poni Canyon stretching into the distance, and then get a clear view of the island's entire shape. However, it was still somewhat difficult to see the other islands; if they had to compare heights, Akala Island's mountains were clearly the largest.

Standing in such a place, one can't help but feel a sense of pride and ambition. After quietly observing for a while and resting up, Qiao Ran finally turned his head and looked towards Lillie.

"Lillie, it's time we got down to business."

"Um."

At Qiao Ran's prompting, Lillie nodded deeply.

Their purpose in coming here has always been singular: to sound the Sun Flute and the Moon Flute, so that they can awaken the Nebby and imbue it with new power.

As for other things, such as Qiao Ran's previous battle, that wasn't actually the purpose of Qiao Ran and his group coming here. It was just that they needed to solve this problem in order to ascend the Altar.

Lillie took two long flutes from her bag, one decorated with a moon-shaped symbol and the other with a Sun- shaped symbol. These were the treasures of the Alola Region, the Moon Flute and...

The Sun Flute.

Legend has it that these two flutes contain magical energy that can allow the Child of the Stars to evolve into a completely new form. This is also the purpose of their visit here.

Lillie handed one of the sticks with the Sun symbol to Qiao Ran, while keeping the one with the moon shape for herself.

To activate the magical effects of the Altar of the Moone, two people must simultaneously play the Sun Flute and the Moon Flute. Qiao Ran and Lillie happen to be the two people Nebby knows best, and no one else is more suitable for this job.

"Alright, everyone get ready... In case of any unexpected situations, I'll leave it to you."

To prevent any accidents while playing the flute, Qiao Ran released his Pokémon and told Cynthia and the others to be ready at any time. He didn't want to be kidnapped by some Monster that suddenly appeared.

"Leave it to us."

Cynthia crossed her arms and smiled at Qiao Ran.

She couldn't go to that Torn World and could only watch helplessly as Qiao Ran was in danger. But now, they were still in the Pokémon World, Cynthia naturally wanted to prove herself. If anything foolish enough to launch a sneak attack at this time, Cynthia wouldn't mind making it suffer.

Her Champion title is not just for show.

Cynthia and the others stood at various points on the Altar, wary of any Ultra Beast that might approach from different directions. As for Mina, she deliberately found a very good angle, ready to observe this legendary historical moment closely. The moment these legends came true would surely stimulate a lot of inspiration for her, and might even help her break through some of her current realms.

Having arranged everything, Lillie and Qiao Ran arrived at opposite sides of the Altar of the Moone.

In front of the highest Plate, there are two small "ponds". In the center of the pond is a small floating platform, which is where the musician stands.

In the center of the two ponds, the cocoon of the Nebby Levitate quietly, its eyes closed, as if it is having a beautiful dream, making one not want to disturb its sweet slumber.

However, this dream will eventually come to an end, and by then, they have waited far too long.

Qiao Ran and Lillie stepped into the pond, proceeding cautiously step by step. They then stood in the center, took a deep breath, and looked at each other.

The two shared almost identical ideas.

"Let's begin."

"Um!"

Everything is arranged, only the final step remains.

--Lillie and Qiao Ran simultaneously picked up their flutes, pressing the holes against their lower lips. At that moment, a unique flute melody resounded simultaneously above the Altar of the Moone--

This time, thousands of years had passed since the last time such a sound was heard.

With all conditions met, everyone on the Altar of the Moone had made their final preparations. In addition, to guard against any unexpected events, Qiao Ran also released other Pokémon for defense.

This isn't the Distortion World where you can only use one Pokémon. Not only can Qiao Ran use all of his Pokémon, Cynthia and the others can also fully unleash their strength. With such a team, they'll at least have a fighting chance against any opponent.

Qiao Ran and Lillie exchanged one last glance, then brought the flutes to their lips. A melodious and graceful sound emanated from them, as if possessed by some kind of magic. Qiao Ran and Lillie hadn't actually received any special training in playing the flute; they had only learned some basic knowledge from Mina the day before. But when they brought the flutes to their lips, everything seemed to fall into place naturally.

The sounds of the flutes blended into a melody, and the sounds of two flutes playing together added depth to the piece. As the song played, something wondrous happened before everyone's eyes.

Bright light emanated from beneath Qiao Ran and Lillie's feet. The light gathered from the ponds on either side, then spread outwards along the grooves above the Altar, following the trajectory of the water, as if drawing some wondrous pattern, appearing both beautiful and Mew.

Everyone stared at the breathtaking scene, and Mina watched without blinking. She had been to many places and seen many beautiful landscapes that locals called "spectacles," and she had painted most of them, but none of them had ever made her feel so excited.

This is a legend of Alola that has been passed down from ancient times, and it is also the most mysterious part of the Pokémon World. No one knows what happened between the ancient Alola dynasty and the Child of the Stars, nor who Coaching them to build such a building. However, even from today's perspective, this charm has not faded from ancient times to the present, but has become more unforgettable with the passage of time.

"..."

The light began to spread along the direction of the water flow, and finally, the two beams of light from both sides converged on the huge stone tablet facing the rising Sun, flowing into the huge circular groove in the very center of the stone tablet.

"Whoosh--"

It was as if a huge door had been opened; the circular groove suddenly appeared at the location of the opening.

Then, abundant white energy overflowed, and that white energy began to rapidly converge, finally transforming into a most intense beam of light, shooting towards the Nebby Levitate in the center of the Battle Court.

The entire body of Nebby was enveloped in light, and the blinding light finally faded slowly after a while. At the same time, Qiao Ran and Lillie's performance came to an abrupt end, and the entire Altar finally fell silent again.

"Thank goodness, nothing unexpected happened..."

Qiao Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had happened after everything was over. When he was playing the flute, he was still on tenterhooks, afraid that the "The Blinding One" from the Ultra World would suddenly rush out and catch them off guard. Now it seems that they were indeed overthinking it.

Even the gods of the Ultra World need rest.

However, just as Qiao Ran a sigh of relief, what happened in front of him made him Swallow his words, his eyes widening as he fell silent.

As the concentrated light gradually dissipated, and he could finally see the faint glimmer without Burn his eyes, Qiao Ran also saw the true form of the Bat -shaped "object" hidden within the light.

The first thing that catches the eye is its enormous, semi-circular wings, with Golden outlines along their edges—when fully spread, they look like a complete crescent moon.

Lunala.

This is the true meaning of Moone-Eating Beast.

Qiao Ran had no doubt seen this Pokémon before—in the previous battle.

In that battle, the opponent's fighting style and powerful strength left a deep impression on Qiao Ran. However, its indifferent expression and dull face didn't seem like a real, emotional Pokémon at all.

This Lunala was completely different from the one that appeared before them now.

The moment their eyes met, Qiao Ran and Lillie understood that the Lunala before them was the Nebby they had spent so much time with, the one they had longed for day and night.

Moreover, the final form of Nebby is vastly different from the ordinary Lunala. Its body is not the blue-purple color representing the stars, but a bright red like blood. When it spreads its wings, it does not represent an ordinary moon, but an incredibly eerie blood-red full moon.

This is precisely the characteristic unique to Shiny Pokémon, and proof that Nebby is different from other Pokémon. Even among the Child of the Stars, it is an exceptionally special existence.

"Luuuu."

It flapped its wings, causing its enormous body to Levitate in mid-air, as if it wanted to experience the feeling of flight. It excitedly Fly once before landing in front of Qiao Ran and Lillie, where it quietly gazed at the two of them.

"Nebby..."

Lillie looked at it excitedly. She had seen it before at the Aether Foundation and witnessed its past suffering. But now, it seemed to have completely transformed, becoming a brand new Pokémon. It was like watching her own child grow up. The Nebby who had always been interested in many things had become a powerful and beautiful Pokémon.

Lillie stepped forward and hugged the other person. Qiao Ran just smiled and watched this scene. It seemed that because of its evolution, Nebby was much more composed than before, and at first glance it looked quite dignified.

"Lunala... Is this Lunala? And this color too... It's different from the one in the records."

Mina and the others quickly gathered around, their faces also filled with astonishment as they watched this amazing scene.

Furthermore, the color of the Nebby has also sparked a wave of discussion. After all, in the records of Alola, the Moone-Eating Beast as blue-purple, which doesn't seem like it could be such a blood-red color at all.