"What about the person who was battling him? Did they hear anything?" Su Qianyan froze, then changed focus to ask.
"Sound, right—sound!" Only then did Liu Xiangjun have a revelation. "Alakazam, bring Jace here."
"Swish!"
After Alakazam nodded, he used Teleport and left.
Then another Teleport brought him back, but this time with a confused Jace in tow.
"Jace, when Auron disappeared, did you hear anything?" Su Qianyan didn't have time to ask why Auron's final match had been against Jace. The main thing was to find clues about Auron first.
"Sound?" Jace was still somewhat confused, but quickly snapped awake. "I think I heard... 'Lala'?"
"Lala?"
"Lala!"
Hearing this, Dax on the side jumped directly out of his chair and rushed in front of Jace.
"Lala? Are you sure?"
Su Qianyan and Liu Xiangjun froze, but Ashen also reacted.
Jace nodded. "Yes, definitely."
"Hoopa!"
Seeing Jace's certain look, Dax and Ashen shouted Hoopa's name in unison.
"Hoopa?"
"Hoopa?"
Two utterances of "Hoopa," two different meanings.
Liu Xiangjun knew about Hoopa but didn't understand why Hoopa would take Auron.
Jace's utterance was purely because he didn't know what Hoopa was—simple confusion.
Jace scratched his head. "Hoopa? What's that?"
Ashen explained: "Hoopa is also a legendary Pokémon. He possesses six magical golden rings and can perform spatial teleportation."
Jace froze. "You're saying Auron was taken by a legendary Pokémon?"
Ashen let out a long sigh and nodded. "Mm, should be."
"Legend has it that Hoopa is ferocious and cruel by nature, so Auron..."
Su Qianyan shook his head slightly. The implication was clear.
"That's impossible!"
Jace looked completely incredulous. "Auron is so loved by Pokémon—how could he be taken by a ferocious Hoopa?"
"Where is Hoopa?"
Liu Xiangjun's words made everyone freeze. They couldn't bother arguing about why Auron had been taken by Hoopa anymore.
"I asked—where is Hoopa!"
"Uh, Hoopa... Hoopa is in Mongolia, near Hulunbuir."
Su Qianyan was startled by Liu Xiangjun's full aura and said quietly to her:
"According to records, that's where Hoopa last disappeared. Legend says he was confined there by Arceus."
Ashen nodded, then smiled at Liu Xiangjun. "Let's go. I'll go with you!"
Liu Xiangjun placed her hand in Ashen's outstretched hand. "Let's go. Right now."
"Mm!"
Without bothering about Jace, Su Qianyan, and Dax—who'd all been stunned—the two jumped directly onto Salamence's back.
"Depart!"
"ROAR!"
Salamence's roar immediately jolted the other two awake.
Su Qianyan watched the already-distant Salamence, sighed helplessly in complaint, then also jumped onto Pidgeot's back.
"Pidgeot, follow them!"
"KREE!"
"Corviknight, let's go!"
"Holy crap, big bros, take me with you!" Only after seeing Su Qianyan fly away did Jace react.
"Why is everyone like this? Why won't anyone take me!" After complaining, Jace directly threw out Charizard's Poké Ball.
"Charizard, let's go—follow them!"
"ROAR!"
Good thing that after coming off the field, Jace had immediately taken Charizard for treatment. Otherwise, he'd still have swirly eyes right now.
And so, five people and four Pokémon flew together toward the border of the northeastern provinces.
"Pretty desolate. And there really is no signal at all?"
At this moment, Auron had already circled almost completely around. The place where they'd been staying should be inside a valley.
After Auron walked out through the valley's only cave leading to the outside world, he'd walked around the cave looking in all directions.
"Mm, the time's about right. But it's almost dark in the capital, yet the sun hasn't set here. Don't tell me I ended up abroad? Am I still in Asia? I didn't end up in Europe or America, did I?"
While complaining and looking around, this place—forget people, he hadn't even seen many Pokémon. Even the most common Diglett and Raticate weren't anywhere to be seen.
"Sigh, forget it. I'll head back. I'll have Hoopa send me back later. I just feel bad not reporting that I'm safe—they'll worry."
Auron shook his head and returned the way he came.
But what he didn't know was that right now his family wasn't just worried—they were already flying this way.
The records they'd read described Hoopa as a ferocious, violent legendary Pokémon, so they were all very worried about Auron's condition.
In fact, part of their reason for coming was to avenge Auron. Of course, they were also praying that Auron was lucky and still alive.
If Auron knew what they were thinking, he'd definitely be very helpless. Because the records in the books they'd read were probably about Hoopa Unbound.
Hoopa Unbound was indeed ferocious and powerful. But with Hoopa Unbound's ability to summon legendary Pokémon, even if several more came, they'd just be delivering themselves.
Moreover, the Hoopa who'd brought Auron here was the sealed Hoopa Confined—whose personality was completely like that of a child who hadn't grown up. Not only was he not ferocious, he even felt a bit silly and cute.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Hoopa?" Seeing Auron enter, Hoopa immediately flew to his side and asked with his head tilted.
"Hoopa is really amazing! Whatever you want, Hoopa can bring it to you."
Watching Hoopa's proud expression, Auron couldn't help but rub his head. "I know—Hoopa is the most amazing. But even though Hoopa is amazing, you can't just take other people's things. That would cause trouble for them."
Hoopa's little face fell. "Does that mean Hoopa bringing you here will make you think Hoopa is troublesome?"
Auron smiled and poked Hoopa's forehead. "It's a little troublesome, but Hoopa isn't troublesome at all."
"Really? Hoopa really isn't troublesome?" After happily flying two circles in the air, Hoopa said to Auron with a grin.
"Really."
"Tini~"
"Victini says he ate very happily and thanks you, Little Ze, Hoopa~"
Watching Victini lying in Auron's arms with his little belly bulging while Auron rubbed it with his hand, Hoopa pouted and also squeezed into Auron's arms.
"Little Ze, rub Hoopa's belly too."
"Haha, okay—I'll rub Hoopa's too."
Auron laughed happily, then rubbed both little Pokémon's bellies—one in each hand.