Chapter 566: A New Journey and Seeing Seeing Kapu 2

Over the course of ten years, the energy serving as the core had been largely consumed; not only was it insufficient to provide a Cosmog with enough energy to break its cocoon and evolve, but its very existence also constituted a major problem.

Once this thing fell into the hands of others, it would only cause a second disaster.

Not only did Luo Mu and Seeing Seeing Kapu lack the means to take it away, but they also had to find a way to deal with the multitude of Xurkitree outside.

Given a little time, Luo Mu might be able to send all the Xurkitree back to the Ultra World.

But setting aside how much time that would take, as long as the core remained undestroyed and continued operating under Brugen's settings, the core, which could no longer be shut down, would persist in executing the behavior of summoning Ultra Wormholes and Xurkitree.

The most permanent solution provided by the Hint System was—

While Brugen was gathering all the Xurkitree to Poni Island, detonate the core at a critical node; the resulting energy explosion would be sufficient to send all these Xurkitree back through the Ultra Wormholes in one go.

But as a price, Poni Island, already riddled with holes due to Brugen's development and liable to sink or collapse entirely any day, would also be engulfed in the explosion, vanishing without a trace.

As an outsider, Luo Mu believed he had no right to decide Poni Island's future.

Although this might carry the suspicion of forcing Seeing Seeing Kapu to make a choice, Luo Mu thought that only Seeing Seeing Kapu itself could make this decision at this moment.

The Xurkitree were still constantly arriving, breaking into the underground space of this power plant.

There was not much time left for Seeing Seeing Kapu to make its choice.

Admittedly, another, gentler plan might have offered some room for maneuver.

After clearing away all the Xurkitree, one could purify Poni Island's land and sea anew, restoring them to their original state.

But the problem was not only whether Luo Mu, acting as a helper from another world, could spend that much time staying here to assist.

Even for itself, now lacking ocean currents as an energy source and without Poni Island's natural aid, it was already powerless to purify such a vast area of pollution, unless it could once again contact new nature and clear ocean currents to restore its condition to what it once was.

Its three companions had already left this place, no longer bound by itself as a guardian deity, having made their choices to pursue new lives.

Then what should it do?

Seeing Seeing Kapu recalled those words of Sofu, and its eyes became resolute.

Rather than unrealistic fantasies, it preferred to bring everything to an end today, then move toward a new future together with the Popplio.

Under Brugen's terrified expression, Seeing Seeing Kapu placed that small bomb, exactly as Luo Mu had previously taught, in the location closest to and most vulnerable part of the core.

Once destroyed, the core's energy would spill out, destroying everything.

Immediately after, it pressed that conspicuous red button.

Accompanied by the lighting up of the electronic display, a one-minute countdown began to flow.

Seeing that Seeing Seeing Kapu had made its decision, Luo Mu did not delay either.

Ignoring Brugen's wails, he recalled his Luxray while summoning his Dragonite, which had not yet exited its Terastallized state, and extended his hand toward Seeing Seeing Kapu.

"We have less than a minute; we must break through here in one go and leave the range of the explosion."

Accompanied by another eruption of "Hyper Beam," a crimson corridor leading to the ground and the sky appeared.

After recovering within a few breaths, the Dragonite, carrying Luo Mu and Seeing Seeing Kapu, flapped its dragon wings with all its might, riding the wind currents to climb to high altitude at a terrifying speed.

Amidst the howling air currents, one could vaguely see the figures of countless Xurkitree below, instinctively drawing near the power plant.

When the Dragonite broke through the thick black clouds high above in one go and saw the proud sun hanging in the sky for the first time—

A dazzling light erupted below, so brilliant that even the black clouds could hardly conceal it, like a second sun.

Immediately following, an earth-shaking roar rang out, and they witnessed a scene unforgettable in their lives—

The powerful shockwave generated by the energy explosion instantly lifted the surrounding seawater into a wall of water dozens of meters high, resembling a dark liquid mountain peak.

Then, the water wall collapsed, falling as a torrential rain, violently colliding with the seawater that had caved in around it, kicking up countless splashes.

Countless Ultra Wormholes opened, sucking the tenacious Xurkitree back into the space where they originally belonged.

Only after a long time did everything gradually return to calm, while the original Poni Island had long since vanished without a trace.

Gazing downward, Seeing Seeing Kapu felt a mix of emotions in its heart: relief that a great vengeance had been avenged, yet also a slight bewilderment regarding its own future.

This time, however, it did not use the mist to summon the former Island King Sofu, who had passed away peacefully due to reaching the limit of his lifespan long before Poni Island's mutation; instead, it decided to let him remain in peaceful eternal sleep.

Taking advantage of the shockwave from the explosion having temporarily scattered the black clouds, Luo Mu looked left and right.

The other few islands were only slightly better off than Poni Island; most humans had likely already left Poni Island, just like the other three Tapu who had already departed.

Seeing this parallel world turned into such a state, Luo Mu sincerely felt that his own world was quite fortunate and wonderful.

Vaguely, a somewhat ethereal call reached his ears; it was Seeing Seeing Kapu, but not the Seeing Seeing Kapu before him.

Seeing that the other party seemed to have sorted out their feelings, Luo Mu took out the Dive Ball containing the Popplio and said, "They over there seem to be urging me to return; what do you plan to do afterward?"

"Do you need me and Dragonite to send you to a place outside Alola to start life anew?"

Luo Mu had not actually considered taking the Popplio back with him; after all, capturing it was merely a delaying tactic undertaken due to environmental factors.

Now that the problem was resolved, once they found a place unpolluted, Seeing Seeing Kapu could live there with it.

"Puka-lai."

But Seeing Seeing Kapu shook its head, offering the answer it had already considered long ago.

For it, this world no longer held a place to call home, and its colleagues had long since departed, their current whereabouts unknown.

Rather than heading to an unfamiliar region with unknown risks, it was better to choose a good place from the start.

While resting in the ruins of the Altar of the Sunne, it had developed a longing for that wonderful place mentioned by Dragonite and the others.

There, the Popplio would surely be able to grow up healthy and lively.

In other words, not only for the Popplio but also for itself, it wanted to leave this place with Luo Mu and settle down in that place called the "Farm."

Luo Mu froze in rare surprise for a few seconds.

【55】 Luo Mu froze in rare surprise for a few seconds.

Ah, an Island Guardian is coming home with me?

Although Seeing Seeing Kapu spoke of settling down, the Farm was originally Luo Mu's home.

Rounding it off, did this shiny Seeing Seeing Kapu from the parallel world before him intend to go with him?

Oh right, there was also the Popplio, the continuation of Poni Island's life.

Luo Mu thought that perhaps earlier, while he had been wholeheartedly directing his Pokémon, Sofu had said something to Seeing Seeing Kapu, resolving its inner knots and obsessions, ultimately bringing about this change.

There was just one single problem—

Would there be any issue with Tapu Fini leaving alongside him?

Personally naturally very welcoming to Tapu Fini settling down, Luo Mu tentatively queried the hint system.

The response it gave was—

【No problem at all, dear】

Below, a heap of detailed explanations was listed.

Broadly speaking, as an island guardian deity accepting faith, after Poni Island vanished, Tapu Fini had already regained its freedom.

After all, the island itself had never bound them; it was merely that Tapu Fini held rather conservative views and simply refused to leave.

Except that after following him to his own world, due to a conflict in its power as a guardian deity, Tapu Fini would be unable to jointly manage that Poni Island with another Tapu Fini; basically, there would be no major changes.

It would simply be a matter of finding another "ownerless" stretch of ocean to settle in, recovering its power, and then, just like Lei Guan Wang, deciding whether or not to continue accepting faith and offerings.

Coincidentally, the Paldea seas ought to be "ownerless."

That is, provided one excludes that legendary big shot who created the oceans, Kyogre.

Since there was nothing to worry about, and having sensed a pulling sensation already transmitting from somewhere, he took out another Dive Ball, identical to the one belonging to Popplio.

"Temporarily enter inside here; I think that should allow us to sneak across."

"Lai-Fin!"

It had also sensed the faint urging transmitted from its other self, calling for its cooperation.

Tapu Fini nodded gently, and while releasing a massive amount of mist to envelop itself, Luo Mu, and Dragonite, it directly pressed the button on the Dive Ball, turning into a beam of red light and being drawn into the sphere.

The next moment.

The same sensation that had struck before being sent by the Tapu Fini of his own world to this world arrived once more.

After the feeling of being stripped away from the world vanished, in a daze, Luo Mu seemed to feel as though someone glanced at him, but such a sensation vanished in an instant, leading him to believe it was merely an illusion.

Within a spatial rift arranged parallel to the main world to which Luo Mu belonged, existing in another spacetime dimension independent of it, the dragon deity, entirely white and purple, slowly opened its crimson eyes due to the spatial fluctuations.

By the time Luo Mu came back to his senses.

Before him was Tapu Fini, quietly hovering above the clear water surface, and Tapu Koko, who, taking advantage of Tapu Fini's inattention, had been unable to resist secretly pinching off a few pieces of coral to admire.

Fresh air rushed into his nostrils; although it had been less than two days, merely one day, it felt to him as though an entire lifetime had passed.

Finally back—

With endless sighs in his heart, under the astonished expressions of the two guardian deities, Luo Mu suddenly began repeatedly taking deep breaths, looking slightly neurotic.

Dragonite mimicked the same action, its tail swaying joyfully.

"Puka-lo."

Tapu Koko looked at its colleague, a hint of doubt entering its eyes.

Where exactly did you take this kid? Don't go breaking my challenge opponent!

Tapu Fini wore an equally bewildered expression.

To be frank, it was impossible for it to observe every detail of that world's conditions; otherwise, it wouldn't be Tapu Fini, but rather the Gem Old Man who observes countless parallel worlds, or some Strange Doctor.

It only knew that its other self had encountered a crisis, was in great danger, and required powerful combat strength to provide aid.

As for what happened in between, it wasn't entirely clear either; it merely sensed that its other self's mental knot had untied, so it prepared to bring Luo Mu back.

After all, if too much time passed, it might attract the attention of some unspeakable big shots.

As for Luo Mu's current state, it wasn't entirely clear what was going on either.

Fortunately, Luo Mu quickly composed his agitated emotions and asked the two Tapu: "How much time has passed since I left?"

He didn't know if the flow of time was the same in both worlds, and he was somewhat worried he might miss the Pokémon Chef interview scheduled for one day after his departure, calculated by the time he left.

The two Tapu glanced at him oddly, and led by Tapu Fini, they came to a bare stone platform outside the Ruins of Life, pointing at the blazing sun hanging over the sea and crying out a few times.

The sun hasn't even reached the midpoint yet; how long could you possibly have been gone?

Luo Mu stared blankly at the sky, realizing the sun was still some distance from its highest point, meaning there was still some time before noon.

Taking out his battle-damaged mobile phone again and connecting to the network, Luo Mu reached a startling conclusion.

Only one hour had passed since he left—

It seemed the flow of time over there was much faster than here.

Having confirmed the time, the final sense of urgency completely vanished; Luo Mu turned back into the Ruins of Life, sat cross-legged without any regard for image, back-to-back with Dragonite.

After staying in that kind of world, he finally realized how wonderful this world was.

Consequently, even when looking at villain bosses like Sakaki and Lysandre in the future, he would probably find their facial features quite kind.

Hmm, provided they don't actually realize their own "cherished wishes" and "ambitions."

Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko circled around, obviously very curious about what Luo Mu had encountered over there.

Compared to Ash, whom it had "raised," Tapu Koko's attitude toward Luo Mu was more like that toward an equal opponent; it didn't mind releasing its true nature and lacked the self-awareness to maintain distance.

And although Tapu Fini didn't particularly like humans, Luo Mu had left a fairly good impression on it; if he weren't non-Alolan, it might have considered making him an Island Kahuna.

After all, when selecting an Island Kahuna, it always chose someone pleasing to the eye; those not pleasing, it was too lazy to even meet.

Precisely because of this, Tapu Fini was willing to let Luo Mu continue staying within the Ruins of Life, rather than tossing him out once he was used.

Bearing two pairs of extremely curious gazes, Luo Mu shrugged, "As for the specific details, let it explain them to you."

It?

Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini tilted their heads.

But in the next instant, accompanying Luo Mu's action, their expressions instantly became unsettled.

Only to see the Dive Ball in Luo Mu's hand open, with red light gradually condensing into a physical form within.

A shiny-colored Tapu Fini, very similar to the Tapu Fini of this place yet slightly different in detail, appeared within the Ruins of Life.

Merely looking at the familiar environment here, the feeling of a lifetime having passed in its eyes was even deeper than what Luo Mu had felt just moments ago.

It understood that from this moment on, it had no relation or connection to its original world.

Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon, having long been mentally prepared, raised its eyes to meet the gaze of another slightly shocked version of itself, then lifted a hand to greet it.

"Puka-fin."

Hello, other me.

Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon and Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon—for now, let's just call them Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon 1 and Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon 2.

Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon 1 was the original-colored Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon from Luo Mu's world, while Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon 2 was the differently colored Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon from another Ping Xing Shi Jie.

Seeing Seeing Kapu Finneon 1 and Seeing Seeing Kapu Tapu Koko clearly hadn't anticipated this development.

They looked at Luo Mu with faces full of surprise, their expressions as if asking—

How on earth did you lure it over here!?

(End of Chapter)