LRAB Chapter 499
Chapter 499
Chapter 499
When the words "Ultimate Beast" came out of Xia Chi's mouth, Lusamine's body suddenly stiffened.
It wasn't just surprise, it was also joy.
Surprisingly, Xia Chi knew about the existence of Ultimate Beasts.
Ultra Beasts are a concept that most people in this world have never heard of.
Even the top brass of the Alola League knew very little about this term.
Not to mention people from other places.
The Aether Foundation has always classified the related research as top secret, only referring to it publicly as "cross-dimensional Pokémon behavior research."
.
How did Xia Chi know that?
Could it be that his research extends beyond legendary Pokémon, even encompassing special Pokémon from beyond the universe?
This is so weird...
However, judging from Xia Chi's performance all along, it can be barely explained.
Countless questions flashed through Lusamine's mind in an instant.
Beneath these questions, a deeper emotion is surging.
Joy...or rather, hope.
Her husband, Moen, the founder of the Ether Foundation and the pioneer of research into the Ultimate Hole, disappeared many years ago during an experiment.
He opened an ultimate hole and never returned.
Lusamine had been searching for him for many years.
We used every available method and every available resource.
Got nothing.
But Xia Chi is different.
Xia Chi is someone who has seen too many "impossibilities".
Eterna, Hoopa, Dialga, Yveltal—
He had not only seen these Pokémon, which most people only know from myths and legends, but he had also fought against them.
If anyone in this world could enter the Ultimate Cave and return alive, it would be Xia Chi.
Lusamine took a deep breath, quickly suppressing the surprise and joy in her grey-blue eyes, replacing them with determination.
"Mr. Xia Chi".
Her voice was a bit deeper than before, less formal and more sincere.
I want to tell you a story.
Xia Chi leaned back on the sofa, crossed his hands on his knees, and looked at her calmly.
"Please speak."
Rosamina lowered her eyes slightly, her eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.
Her voice was calm and unhurried, like a slowly flowing river.
"Many years ago, my husband Moen and I were studying a special kind of energy fluctuation when we discovered an amazing fact: there are other dimensions, other spaces, outside of our world."
"Those spaces are inhabited by...life forms we have never seen before."
"They don't belong to our world's ecosystem, so we gave them a name—Ultra Beasts."
Lusamine paused for a moment.
Her gaze fell on the coffee table, but her focus wasn't there.
"Moen believed that Ultra Beasts were the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and he devoted his life to researching how to open a passage to their world—the Ultra Hole."
"Then one day..."
As Lusamine spoke, her voice began to tremble slightly.
"He succeeded. He opened an ultimate hole, went in, and never came back."
Lusamine looked up at Xia Chi.
"Mr. Xia Chi, I would like to ask for your help in finding my husband."
The living room fell silent.
Xia Chi did not answer immediately.
He leaned back on the sofa, his hands crossed on his knees, his gaze slightly lowered as he looked at the cup of black tea on the coffee table that had stopped steaming.
After a long while, Xia Chi finally spoke slowly.
"So you now have the ability to open the Ultimate Void?"
Lusamine nodded.
"This has always been a core research project of our Ether Foundation."
Her voice regained its usual composure. "Actually, there are many passages connecting our world to that world, most of which are concentrated in the Alola region."
She paused, seemingly considering her next words.
"We're not the only ones researching the portal to the ultimate world."
She raised her gaze slightly, looking out the window at the sky dyed orange-red by the setting sun. "The creatures of that world are also researching the entrance to our world. I can sense this from the frequent fluctuations in energy."
"And the most crucial question is—"
She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Most of the Ultra Beasts among them are extremely powerful. We cannot guarantee that we can contain and control every single one. Although the Aether Foundation's security forces are not weak, they are still somewhat powerless when facing creatures of that level."
Xia Chi nodded, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
"This directly led to Lillie being attacked by Nihilego, and she has been afraid of Pokémon ever since."
Lusamine's body stiffened abruptly.
Her lips trembled slightly, then tightened.
"That was an accident."
Her voice trailed off, "I didn't want to either—"
Lusamine closed her eyes before she finished speaking. Her breathing became rapid, her chest heaved a few times, and then slowly calmed down.
Finally, she sighed.
"I admit, it's all my fault."
Her voice was a little hoarse. "In order to find Moen, I hurt Lillie and Gladio. I let Zaobo's research run unchecked. I knew he opened the Ultimate Void. I knew that Nihilego had escaped... I thought I could control it. I thought that as long as I was careful, nothing would happen."
Xia Chi looked at Lusamine in silence for two seconds, then shook his head.
"There's no point in saying that now. You just said that the creatures from that world are also trying to come over. How can you tell if they're benevolent or malevolent?"
He asked this question because he remembered the plot of the game and anime from his previous life.
The Ultra Beasts poured out of the Ultra Cave, and many of them wreaked havoc in the Alola region.
For example, the Gluttonous King, that enormous creature that is like a mobile garbage dump, leaves nothing but desolation wherever it goes.
For example, the muscle-bound mosquito, that bizarre flying insect covered in muscles, takes pleasure in destruction.
They do not harbor any evil intentions; they simply act according to their instincts.
For them, the human world is nothing more than a giant playground.
Xia Chi asked Lusamine this question not to test her, but to confirm whether the world would also go down that path.
Rosamina clearly understood the deeper meaning behind Xia Chi's question.
Her expression suddenly turned serious. She pursed her lips and shook her head.
"Looking at the individual cases of those who escaped from the ultimate pore..."
Her voice was slow, "It's probably mostly malicious."
Not all.
She added, "Some Ultra Beasts just passed through and didn't show any aggression, but those that actually came into contact with our world—most of them caused destruction."
Xia Chi took over the conversation, her voice calm and resolute: "So this is no longer just about finding your husband, but about the safety of the entire Alola region."
Lusamine was slightly taken aback.
She wanted to ask, "Is it that serious?"
But looking at Xia Chi's serious face, she suddenly remembered something.
The person in front of me always seems to have a prophetic ability to prepare before disaster strikes.
He seemed to possess a special ability, or rather, a special intuition, that allowed him to sense danger before it even occurred.
Perhaps this time will be no exception?
Lusamine's mind was suddenly filled with the abnormal data from the lab over the past few days.
The pointer on the energy monitor jumped much more than usual, and there were several unexplained sharp peaks on the recorded waveform.
The technicians said it might be an instrument malfunction, but she had a vague unease in her heart, an unease that was suddenly amplified when she saw Xia Chi's expression.
Could it be that—
The ultimate rift is about to open?
Lusamine's expression grew increasingly serious.
"I see."
Her voice regained its steady and powerful tone, "I will go back and start to strengthen the monitoring of abnormal data. I will notify you immediately if there is any suspicious situation."
She has started using honorifics.
Xia Chi nodded, a reassuring smile playing on his lips.
"Don't worry, I'm here, everything will be alright."
This statement was made very casually.
But when Lusamine heard this, her tense shoulders visibly relaxed a little.
She knew the person in front of her had the confidence to say those words.
After all, Xia Chi catching legendary Pokémon is as common as other trainers catching ordinary Pokémon.
Reshiram, Latias, Victini, Hoopa...
These names, which exist only in mythology in the eyes of ordinary people, are his companions and the power he can use at any time.
Even the strongest Ultra Beasts haven't demonstrated combat power surpassing that of Reshiram and other Pokémon.
It's not even a tiny bit worse.
As Lusamine thought of this, the string that had been taut in her heart for many years finally loosened a little.
She stood up, straightened the hem of her suit jacket, and gave Xia Chi a slight bow.
"Then I won't bother you any longer, thank you, Mr. Xia Chi."
Xia Chi also stood up and saw her to the door.
Latias came out of the kitchen with a small paper bag in his hand, containing a few freshly baked cookies.
"Ooh-ee"
She handed the paper bag to Rosamund, her amber eyes filled with tenderness.
Lusamine paused for a moment, then took the paper bag.
"Thanks."
She glanced down at the cookies in the paper bag, then looked up at Latias, a small smile curving her lips.
"Mr. Xia Chi, I won't be having dinner here."
Rosamina stepped out the door, turned around, and her long golden hair shimmered warmly in the sunset. "I'll come to thank you formally another day."
Xia Chi didn't try to stop him, he just nodded.
The black limousine was parked quietly on the side of the road, the driver already having opened the rear door.
Lusamine bent down and got into the car. The window slowly rolled down, and she waved to Xia Chi.
"Take care of yourself."
The car started and silently drove away from the athletes' village.
Xia Chi stood at the door, watching the car disappear around the corner of the street, and remained silent for a while.
Then he turned and went back into the house.
Latias had already tidied up the teacups and saucers on the coffee table and was standing in the kitchen doorway waiting for him.
She tilted her head and looked at Xia Chi with a questioning gaze.
"Huh?"
Xia Chi smiled and gently patted the top of her head.
"It's alright, don't worry."
The energy fluctuations in the Ultimate Cave are intensifying.
The creatures from that world are trying to come over.
It's not a question of whether it will happen, but when it will happen.
He's in Alora now, which is fine.
What he was more worried about was that the Ultra Beast wave would break out while he was still in the Alola region.
The Ultimate Cave will only open after the Ten Masters Tournament is over and I return home.
That's what Xia Chi is most worried about.
In the days following Lusamine's visit, Xia Chi did not resume his leisurely life.
As time went by, the players from the Ten Masters Tournament, who were also champions from other regions, gradually moved into the players' village.
Most of them were old acquaintances of Xia Chi.
Cynthia, Leon, Yaji, Gadriya...
That's right, Gadriya has officially assumed the title of Unova League Champion.
In addition, there's Daigo, who arrived a few days ago and is now off digging for rocks somewhere.
They can all throw parties in the athletes' village now.
In fact, they did meet at Xia Chi's residence.
After all, from an official standpoint, Xia Chi saved the Hoenn, Unova, and Galar regions, and these Alliance officials should rightfully pay him a visit.
Personally, these champions and Xia Chi are also very good friends.
The first person to visit was Dan Di.
The Galar champion wore a long purple coat over a black turtleneck, and her hair was still her signature voluminous curls.
As soon as he got out of the car, he strode towards Xia Chi's residence, his steps as fast as if he were in the middle of a battle.
"Junior Brother Xia Chi!"
As soon as he entered the room, he opened his arms and gave Xia Chi a firm hug, so strong that Xia Chi almost lost her balance.
"Senior brother, be gentle."
Xia Chi smiled and patted him on the back.
Dan Di released his grip, took a step back, looked Xia Chi up and down, and then nodded in satisfaction.
"You look much better than when we last met. It seems you've had a good rest on the island."
Xia Chi joked, "Without having to run around, I can naturally get a good rest."
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The two looked at each other and smiled.
After exchanging pleasantries, Xia Chi invited Dan Di into the house to reminisce.
I don’t know if these champions planned it all out, but before Dan Di could even settle in, the doorbell rang again.
Xia Chi went to open the door, and there stood a tall and slender figure, Cynthia.
"Long time no see." Cynthia walked up to Xia Chi and extended her hand.
Xia Chi held her hand, feeling the slight coolness of her fingertips.
"Long time no see. You must have had a long journey."
Cynthia shook her head, a slight smile on her lips: "It's alright, the climate in Alola is much more comfortable than in Sinnoh."
As she spoke, her gaze passed over Xia Chi and looked toward the living room behind him.
Bictini was squatting on the coffee table, her big blue eyes looking at her curiously.
Latias brought out tea from the kitchen and bowed slightly to her.
Although it's a temporary residence, this little home has been decorated very warmly.
"You still know how to manage your life so well."
Cynthia withdrew her gaze and looked at Xia Chi, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"We can't be too stingy when we're entertaining the champions."
Xia Chi shrugged and stepped aside to let her in.