Chapter 423: Betrayal

Seeing Paipa emerge from the Cave, a Pokeball clenched in his palm, Huo La asked casually, "Caught it?"

"Hmm." Paipa gently shook the Pokeball in his hand, his expression solemn.

"Then let's set off; it's time to go back," Huo La stretched his neck and said lightly.

"Eh? Do you still have a way back?" Paipa asked, his face full of doubt.

"Of course there is." Huo La said, withdrawing the Fireburst Beast, Leaf Eevee, and Dragon King Scorpion.

Deprived of their Pokémon's suppression, the three surrounded Explorer Team members instantly breathed a sigh of relief, and the leader again shouted a threat: "Laiyi, you can still stop now; if you keep acting recklessly, the Si faction will never let you go!"

He turned his head toward Paipa again, warning sharply, "And you, Paipa!"

Huo La completely ignored the clamor, calmly pulling out two Pokeballs.

In an instant, a dense Space-Time Power suddenly enveloped him, and a rotating Space-Time vortex slowly took shape.

Paipa's eyes widened in shock, and he was left staring dumbfounded.

Huo La's tone was calm: "Let's go, home."

Having said that, he was the first to stride into the vortex; Paipa, not daring to delay, followed closely and plunged in.

As soon as the two silhouettes vanished, Chi Ri rode Palkia in a swift return, landing back on the ruined Cave clearing.

Palkia let out a low roar, and Chi Ri furrowed his brows, his expression grim.

The next second, Spinel arrived, tracking with Great Space Monster and Moon Eevee.

The three Explorer Team members, upon seeing Spinel, instantly showed delighted faces; just as they were about to step forward and report, Chi Ri's cold voice rang out.

"Spinel, you did a good deed. Just now, someone used Sheer Force to open a Space-Time portal here."

Spinel's brows twitched slightly as he looked at a subordinate beside him.

The leading member rushed forward, reporting urgently: "It's Laiyi! Laiyi betrayed the team; he teamed up with Paipa and captured Terapagos!"

Spinel's face remained unruffled, as if he had long anticipated this scene.

Chi Ri sneered, his voice icy to the bone: "Heh, Spinel, your people have turned. This Laiyi—what exactly is his background?"

Spinel lifted his gaze toward him and slowly uttered two words: "Huo La."

Upon hearing the name, Chi Ri's complexion changed dramatically, his pupils snapping shut: "Is it him? He's actually back?"

"That's right, he's back."

Chi Ri's anger flared instantly, he demanded sharply: "Why did you omit such a crucial matter? Why didn't you inform that being? What exactly are you trying to do!"

Spinel merely raised an indifferent eyebrow, showing no intention to explain, and calmly said, "Shall we keep fighting?"

Chi Ri, furious and breathless, gritted his teeth and shouted angrily, "What the hell! Go back!"

On the other side, Huo La and Paipa stepped out of the Space-Time vortex; as soon as their feet touched the ground, a massive crowd of Galaxy Team members surged around, instantly encircling the two.

Huo La looked at the scene before him, feeling a surge of emotion deep inside.

He never imagined that, on Galaxy Team's own turf, he would end up being surrounded layer upon layer by their own people.

But now is no time for sentiment. The longer the delay, the sooner Chi Ri and Spinel can track back; Huo La knows that with their abilities, returning is hardly difficult.

"Paipa, hold on tight; I'll take you on a dragon ride out."

Paipa was startled by the words, not yet reacting, when Huo La already held a Pokeball in each hand and hurled them forcefully.

Two massive divine lights thundered onto the ground, and the silhouettes of two Legendary Pokémon instantly manifested.

A torrent of time wrapped around them, the space barriers trembled in all directions, and two authoritative roars rang through the arena.

All the Galaxy Team members present instantly had their pupils contract, their bodies frozen on the spot, faces filled with extreme terror and panic.

"It's… Dialga…"

"And… and Palkia…"

Under the stunned, fearful gazes of the members, Huo La moved deftly, flipping onto Dialga's back, then turned to Paipa, urging in a deep voice, "Get on quickly; we leave at once!"

Under the same stunned gazes, Palkia first tore through space, with Dialga following closely, plunging into a spatial rift and vanishing instantly from the Galaxy Team members' sight, leaving only a shocked crowd behind.

Crossing the space barrier, Dialga and Palkia soared above the sky, beneath them endless clouds and mountains, the wind whistling past their ears.

Paipa still seemed incredulous, his hands gently stroking the Palkia beneath him, his eyes full of bewilderment and shock, muttering continuously, "It's really… it's really Palkia…"

After a while, he finally reacted, turning to Huo La, his tone urgent and puzzled: "Wait, Laiyi, these are Chi Ri's Time‑Space Dual Gods; how could you have them?"

Huo La lowered his head to glance at Paipa, remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke, his tone tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, Paipa, I deceived you."

"Huh? Deceived me?" Paipa's face was bewildered as he scratched his head, "Deceived me about what?"

"Hey, I'm not Laiyi; my real name is Huo La," Huo La said slowly, "You can pull out your phone and search a bit to get a simple idea of who I am; later I'll tell you the rest."

Paipa, hearing this, quickly took out his phone, his fingers flicking across the screen to search.

As he scrolled through article after article, his expression grew increasingly strange, shifting from bewilderment to surprise, then to disbelief.

A moment later, he lifted his head, his eyes full of shock, his voice trembling slightly: "You… you are the Huo La who disappeared four years ago at the Rocket Team Headquarters? The one Professor Oak has been searching for everywhere?"

Huo La gave a slight nod, offering no denial.

Paipa swallowed, then asked further: "You… didn't you disappear long ago? How did you suddenly appear in Paldea, masquerading as Laiyi and infiltrating the Explorer Team?"

"That story is long; let me tell you slowly."