Seeing Tapu Koko safely emerge from the Cave, Roy felt a wave of relief.
"Thank goodness you made it out safely."
The outside world had awakened from the darkness of night. The morning air was extraordinarily fresh, and even the tall trees on both sides seemed to breathe greedily.
Looking around in daylight, it became clear they were now located northwest of Poni Meadow.
They must have stumbled upon Resolution Cave by pure chance during the night—like a blind cat finding a dead mouse.
Otherwise, based on the Lycanrock pack's information, they could have searched Poni Meadow for a year without ever finding Guzzlord and the Murkrow.
Thinking about it now, the Poni Meadow rumors were probably false information deliberately spread by the Murkrow to mislead others.
Resolution Cave showed no further signs of collapse, but they understood that Guzzlord must have retreated somewhere with its forces.
Even a clever rabbit has three burrows—how much more so for Guzzlord?
After Roy and Tapu Koko emerged and exchanged words, Tapu Koko realized that the pair of eyes it had glimpsed must have belonged to Guzzlord.
But Roy found this surprising.
"The whole time we were there, we never saw Guzzlord's eyes glow."
"Are you certain it was really Guzzlord?"
This question stumped Tapu Koko, who had never actually seen Guzzlord before.
Tapu Koko shook its head. "Koko-ko."
I'm not sure either.
Roy didn't press the matter further—the discussion had reached its limit.
However, after emerging from the cave, Roy had learned some other details that might connect everything together.
Roy took out a Poké Ball and summoned Salamence.
Salamence tirelessly served as their transportation, carrying Roy and Tapu Koko toward the Altar of the Sunne.
Lucario, for once, returned to its Poké Ball.
The reason was simple—the battle with Guzzlord had been genuinely exhausting.
Lucario wanted to rest properly, and Mimikyu had expressed the same need.
So the two hardworking Pokémon went to sleep inside their Poké Balls.
The morning wind carried a slight chill, but Salamence wasn't flying fast—just maintaining a steady altitude.
If Salamence truly wanted to, flying dozens of laps around Poni Island in a minute would pose no challenge at all.
But with Roy on its back, comfort had to be considered.
Even so, it didn't take long to travel from Terminus Cave to the Altar of the Sunne.
The discussion between Roy and Tapu Koko about the cave incident hadn't even reached a conclusion before Salamence was already beginning its descent.
Gentle sunlight illuminated the dark altar, radiating a somewhat cold aura into the surroundings.
Lunala preferred to rest before the stone gate of the Altar of the Sunne.
It felt comfortable here—this was the closest place to Alola's sun.
The sound of Salamence's approach wasn't subtle, and besides, Salamence had no intention of concealing its presence.
Now that everything was settled, there was no need for the same caution as before.
Moreover, this was where Alola's two legendary Pokémon resided, and the guardian deities occasionally visited as well.
Who would dare cause trouble here?
Under such circumstances, Salamence didn't worry about anything. It spread its massive wings and landed in a relatively shaded spot.
Lunala slightly opened its eyes before the tightly closed stone door, revealing the beautiful gem-like crimson within.
Seeing it was Roy, Lunala closed its eyes again and focused on absorbing light.
Its heart was much calmer now than before.
This was naturally due to Solgaleo's constant companionship and gentle encouragement.
A warmth like home.
Though still somewhat uncomfortable dealing with other Alola Pokémon, somehow Lunala felt an inexplicable confidence.
Everything would gradually improve.
It had changed considerably from before.
Lunala...
Some painful memories kept flashing through Lunala's mind.
Darkness, pain, loneliness...
These were all sharp weapons that had once tormented it.
Some violent emotions emanated from Lunala's body, but they quietly dissipated after a moment.
From a distance, Lunala resembled a statue atop the dark altar—powerful, yet serene.
Solgaleo, who had been peacefully resting with closed eyes, suddenly opened its light blue eyes.
Looking toward the source of the unsettling aura it had sensed, its gaze filled with concern.
Fortunately, the disturbance was fleeting, and Solgaleo felt relieved.
It's not happening as frequently as before.
Solgaleo swayed its tail with ease, genuinely delighted by Lunala's progress.
It hoped Lunala would recover soon so they could guard Alola together, protecting their shared home.
"Lord Solgaleo, we've returned to report."
Tapu Koko's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Solgaleo's thoughts.
Coincidentally, Lunala's mood shift had occurred precisely when Salamence touched down.
Solgaleo had been so focused on sensing Lunala's emotions lately that it hadn't even noticed their arrival.
Solgaleo's eyes brightened upon seeing Roy. It stood up and affectionately nuzzled against Roy's body.
Roy felt the gentle morning greeting from the large lion and found his fatigue from the long night immediately dissipating.
However, Solgaleo hadn't groomed itself this morning, so Roy ended up covered in the Legendary Pokémon's short white fur.
This made Roy, who happened to be wearing dark clothing, want to cry.
While petting Solgaleo's mane, Roy gently reassured it.
"Alright, alright, let's listen to Tapu Koko first."
"There are many things you'll need to decide afterward."
Only then did Solgaleo become serious and listen as Tapu Koko reported what had transpired in Resolution Cave.
Roy didn't leave but provided additional details from the sideline.
After all, he, Lucario, and Mimikyu had been the ones to actually encounter Guzzlord—he had firsthand knowledge to contribute.
This would make the account more complete.
After finishing, Roy stroked his chin and offered some speculation of his own.
"When I asked Guzzlord what it wanted my heart for, Guzzlord pointed in a specific direction."
"I didn't think much of it at the time. After all, it was so dark I couldn't determine which way it was indicating."