Miraidon transformed into a purple streak of light, speeding through the twilight along the coastal road towards the direction of the reserved guesthouse.
Although the book Chen Kai received from Acerola didn't contain much new information, and was even less comprehensive than what he knew from the Sun and Moon games and anime, perhaps it was the soft ambiance of dusk, or the relaxed mood of returning home, but Chen Kai felt a sense of ease, blending into the surrounding scenery.
The twilight slowly deepened, the sea gradually turned a profound inky blue, and the palm trees by the roadside became swaying black silhouettes in the dusk.
This should have been a peaceful journey home, however, just as they were about to round the last bend from which they could overlook that high-ground coastline, Chen Kai's gaze habitually turned towards the white building.
In an instant, his pupils sharply contracted!
In the vast twilight haze, above that pure white building, there was more than just an outline tinged with dark purple!
A narrow, irregular spatial rift, like a wound torn open by an invisible giant claw, was conspicuously hovering dozens of meters above the building's spire!
The edges of the rift flickered with extremely unstable light, a terrifying interplay of eerie purple and pale white.
The interior of the rift was a bottomless darkness, as if it could swallow all light.
Space around the rift exhibited a dizzying sense of distortion, and the surrounding air seemed to be stirred, trembling slightly.
"Ultra Hole!" Chen Kai couldn't help but exclaim, his heart pounding wildly.
The sight before him was almost identical to the Ultra Hole in the anime and games, only slightly smaller in scale.
The vague sense of unease he had felt for the past few days had now materialized into this highly threatening reality!
"Miraidon! Quick! Let's go check it out!" Chen Kai pointed towards the rift without hesitation.
The Ultra Hole appearing above that strange white building could not possibly be a coincidence!
Chen Kai still had two days to stay in Alola, and he had to figure out what was happening!
Otherwise, with an Ultra Hole near the guesthouse, he would surely be unable to rest or eat in peace!
"Alright!!" Miraidon didn't hesitate for a moment.
The electromagnetic flames on its thighs surged, and its speed instantly reached its maximum, like a purple lightning bolt released from a bowstring, deviating from its original route back to the guesthouse and rapidly rushing towards the high-ground coastline where the white building stood!
The wind whistled past his ears, and the twilight rapidly receded.
Chen Kai's nerves were tightly strung, his eyes fixed on the increasingly close spatial rift, trying to discern if there were any abnormalities inside or around the rift—could it be that this Research Institute wasn't studying Z-Crystals, but Ultra Wormholes? And if so, had any Ultra Beasts already appeared?
Due to the sudden and intense situation, Chen Kai and Miraidon's attention was completely drawn to the rift tearing through the sky.
Even Iron Thorns and Iron Bundle, hidden on Chen Kai, were at this moment only looking towards the distant rift.
During the violent bumps and turns as Miraidon accelerated at full power, a red and white Poké Ball clipped to Chen Kai's belt seemed to be violently scraped by something, or perhaps the vibrations from the high speed just happened to trigger the switch.
A very faint 'click' sound, so tiny amidst the engine-like electromagnetic hum and the whistling wind, was instantly drowned out.
A soft white light flashed and disappeared, silently vanishing into the dense tropical bushes by the roadside.
Chen Kai was completely unaware of this. His eyes only saw the increasingly close Ultra Hole, radiating an ominous aura!
In just a few tens of seconds, Miraidon carried Chen Kai to the vicinity of the entrance to the small path leading to the white building's high ground.
At this point, he could clearly feel the strange oppressive sensation brought by the spatial rift; the air seemed to have become much thicker, accompanied by a faint, teeth-grating hum.
Chen Kai eagerly wanted Miraidon to get closer, preferably to circle to the side of the building for a clearer view.
However, just then—
The rift hovering above the white building violently collapsed inward without warning!
As if it were suddenly clenched and squeezed by an invisible giant hand!
The wildly flickering eerie purple and pale white light at the edges was instantly swallowed by the darkness at the center, and the entire rift, in less than a second, rapidly contracted from a hideous spatial wound into a thin line, then, as if gently erased by an eraser, completely vanished into the deep twilight sky!
Only the dim clouds remained in the sky, as if the breathtaking scene just now was merely an extremely realistic illusion.
"Hey! You over there! Stop! This is a private research area, no approaching allowed! Leave immediately!"
Immediately after, several stern shouts came from the building, accompanied by blinding flashlight beams, suddenly shooting out from the shadows next to the building's entrance!
Two burly security guards in dark uniforms rushed out, blocking the middle of the path. One of them held a walkie-talkie, his expression wary and tense.
Miraidon braked abruptly, its abdomen scraping the ground with tiny electric Sparks, emitting a low growl of displeasure.
Chen Kai squinted, blinded by the strong light, his anxiety instantly replaced by anger and helplessness.
"I just saw a strange rift in the sky!" Chen Kai tried to explain, pointing to the sky.
"What rift? We didn't see anything unusual!" The lead security guard's tone was stiff, and the flashlight beam shone unceremoniously on Chen Kai's face:
"This is an important research facility, unauthorized personnel are not allowed! Please leave immediately, or we will take coercive measures!"
His gaze swept over Miraidon with obvious wariness.
"Damn it!" Chen Kai couldn't help but curse under his breath in Chinese.
The rift had disappeared, and the security guards were so vigilant; he had no chance to investigate further.
"Please leave immediately!" Although the security guard didn't understand Chinese, he could discern displeasure from Chen Kai's tone, and urged him again, his voice growing sterner.
The other side was definitely researching something unusual, but the rift had vanished, leaving no evidence, so arguing further was pointless.
Filled with frustration and unwillingness, he had Miraidon turn around: "Let's go, Miraidon."
Miraidon gave the security guards a displeased look, but still carried Chen Kai away from the high ground shrouded by the strange building, returning to the coastal road leading to the guesthouse.
The twilight deepened further, and the sea breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, brushed Chen Kai's face, yet it couldn't disperse the gloom in his heart.
He was lost in his thoughts, completely oblivious to the anomaly at his waist.
Miraidon maintained a steady speed, having put a considerable distance between them and the coastline where the white building was located. The lights of the town where the guesthouse was located were faintly visible in the twilight ahead.
Just then, Miraidon sensed something unusual; its running rhythm suddenly showed a subtle, almost imperceptible disruption.
It tilted its head slightly to remind Chen Kai: "Xiao Kai, what's wrong with Swablu's Poké Ball?"
"Huh?" Chen Kai was pulled back to reality from his contemplation by his companion's sudden action and voice, and somewhat blankly looked down at the direction Miraidon was indicating—his belt.
When his gaze fell on the spot where Swablu's Poké Ball had been, his mind went blank with a 'buzz'!
That Poké Ball was already open! The Swablu inside was long gone, leaving only the Poké Ball's fastening strap reflecting a faint metallic sheen in the twilight!
"Oh no!! Swablu!"