Chapter 286: You Said There Is? There Is!

The sentence was like a key, piercing the stagnant atmosphere in the conference room.

Huo La felt a jolt in his heart, just as he was about to speak in defense, Majamu beside him finally stepped forward slowly, breaking the silence between the two.

His gaze fell on Mr. AZ, and in a steady tone he began, "Mr. AZ, Huo La's temperament has always been cautious and he did not intend any offense. Since you specifically sought him, perhaps you could state your purpose directly, so that we can understand the reason."

Xingyue also looked up in time, his eyes moving between Huo La and AZ; though he said nothing, he signaled Huo La to stay calm with his gaze.

Huo La inhaled deeply, forcing himself to suppress the turmoil within, slowly loosening his tightly pursed lips, raising his eyes to meet AZ's gaze, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "I do know you, and I am aware of some of your past. But I want to know why you are here in Hisui."

Upon hearing that, a complex emotion flickered in AZ's eyes—there was melancholy, resolve, and a barely perceptible urgency.

He tightened his grip on the wooden staff, the pattern at its tip seeming to flash with a faint light: "I came to Hisui to meet an old friend. As for seeking you specifically, it is because that old friend told me that recently a Time and Space‑crossing person appeared on this land."

The four characters "Crossing Time and Space" rang through the conference room like a thunderclap, striking Majamu and Xingyue's ears hard.

Both of them froze, their gazes toward Huo La instantly filled with gravity, mixed with shock and scrutiny—this young man who seemed to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with them against the Pokémon King Crisis was actually harboring a secret that upended their understanding.

Majamu's brows knit tightly, his hands unconsciously clenching the staff in his grip, his normally steady aura gaining a hint of wariness; Xingyue's hand hanging at his side tightened slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The past excuses of Huo La's "amnesia" and the various peculiarities about him now had the most reasonable explanation.

From his seat, Majamu was the first to break the silence, his tone deep and steady, bearing the composure of a Team Galactic Captain: "Huo La, you truly come from another Time and Space? The amnesia you claimed before was to hide this?"

His words contained no accusation, more a confirmation of the truth and concern for the current situation.

The appearance of the Time‑space traveler, the massive Space-time Rift in the sky, the Pokémon King's energy anomaly, AZ's arrival— all the oddities seemed to intertwine.

Xingyue also spoke in time, his voice carrying a hint of complexity: "Time‑space traveler… I see."

Huo La faced their solemn gazes, knowing that further concealment now served no purpose, he merely nodded lightly, acknowledged his origin, yet still kept some secrets: "I truly come from the future, having accidentally crossed into Hisui. I pretended amnesia to avoid exposing my identity and causing unnecessary trouble. But I know nothing about AZ's old friend or why he asked me to come."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to AZ again, his tone tinged with earnestness: "Mr. AZ, please clarify—who exactly is your old friend? What purpose does he have in sending you to find me? Is this connected to the recent Pokémon King energy anomaly?"

AZ was silent for a moment, his gaze shifting to the distant mountains shrouded in mist, his hoarse voice slowly rising: "My old friend lives in seclusion at the Ancient Hidden Residence where the Tian Guan Mountain Foothills meet the Red Lotus Wetland, guarding a secluded realm."

"Wusi!" Huo La heard that, his pupils suddenly contracting, almost blurting out the name.

Hearing the words "Ancient Hidden Residence," he instantly understood who AZ's old friend was—exactly the being Wang Luo had mentioned, the holder of the Fairy Plate, also the target he had previously planned to seek.

Unfortunately, during his last journey, the energy frenzy of the Moon Bear King in the Red Lotus Wetland and the issue with Miss Qun'er Wang forced the expedition to find Wusi to be postponed, and he never expected it would reconnect in this way.

He was filled with astonishment, never having imagined that AZ would know Wusi, even being a friend of many years.

These two seemingly unrelated mysterious figures actually shared a bond that spanned Time and Space and regions, far beyond his expectations.

Upon further thought, Huo La found it reasonable.

In his memory, Wusi was always shrouded in layers of mystery; she knew the ancient secrets of Hisui, possessed the precious Fairy Plate, and exuded a tranquil aura incongruous with this land, as if she too had witnessed the long flow of time.

This unfathomable mystique mirrored the AZ before him, who bore a millennial obsession; perhaps this shared sense of "detachment" made them each other's solace.

Majamu inhaled deeply, his tense expression easing slightly, his tone carrying a light sigh of understanding: "So it's her, no wonder."

A hint of doubt flashed in Huo La's eyes as he turned to Majamu, clearly curious about his reaction.

Majamu met his gaze, spoke slowly, his tone steady: "It seems that when you went to the Red Lotus Wetland with Ming Yao and Xiao Zhao, the purpose was to find Wusi."

Huo La nodded calmly, without concealment: "It was information from Wang Luo; he said Wusi holds the Fairy Plate."

As he spoke, he followed up, "Captain Majamu also knows her?"

"Hmm." Majamu nodded slowly, "She is an extremely mysterious being. In the early years, the Team Galactic, while exploring Ruins across Hisui and documenting regional features, happened to encounter her a few times. She claims to be a researcher of Hisui's history, knows the ancient secrets of this land and the legends of the Pokémon King like the back of her hand, yet never speaks much about her own origin."

He paused, then added, "She always comes and goes alone, spending most of her time in the Ancient Hidden Residence you mentioned, rarely venturing into the outside world."

"I had also wanted to pay her a special visit before, to ask her about Hisui's history and legends, but in recent years I've been busy with the Team Galactic's exploration missions and handling anomalies across the regions, never finding the time."

Huo La nodded; given the Team Galactic's scope of exploration, there was hardly any place in Hisui they hadn't already traversed, so Majamu's knowledge of Wusi was unsurprising.

Just as the words fell, AZ's grip on the staff loosened slightly, the hoarse voice, always tinged with age, resonated again with a barely perceptible tremor: "I came to find you only to ask whether, in the future, I will still have a chance to meet Hua Yedi."

The moment the words ended, the conference room fell completely silent.

AZ lowered his eyes, the weariness in his gaze swelling further; the faint warmth that had appeared when he mentioned Wusi vanished entirely, leaving only an unyielding, dense obsession.

The wars of a thousand years ago, the sins of the Final Weapon, Hua Yedi's departing silhouette, a millennium of wandering and searching—all ultimately condensed into that single question.

He has lived through countless years, and will continue to live for thousands more in the future, traversing the entire Pokemon World; now all he seeks is the possibility of reuniting with the Hua Yedi who left him.

Huo La felt a sudden jolt in his chest, staring blankly at the AZ before him.

How could he not know the past between AZ and Hua Yedi, that bond and regret spanning over three thousand years, the heaviest legend of the Kalos Region.

He looked at AZ's forlorn state now, recalling the delayed reunion in the future, and his throat tightened for a moment.

Majamu and Xingyue exchanged glances; though they did not know who Hua Yedi was, they heard from AZ's tone an extreme obsession and loneliness, and both tacitly remained silent, allowing the heavy emotion to spread through the room.

Huo La was silent for a moment, his gaze landing on AZ's pallid face, his tone softened yet firm: "Yes."

The single word, like a sliver of light, instantly pierced the gloom in AZ's eyes.

He jerked his head up, staring blankly at Huo La, the dry pupils suddenly flickering with tiny light, his body trembling slightly, as if unable to believe his ears: "You say… there is?"

"Yes!" Huo La spoke again, his tone resolute.