Elf: Who told him to be an investigator!

Chapter 250 The Prison Life of Red Sun and Hunter J

Chapter 250 The Prison Life of Red Sun and Hunter J

The Sinnoh League's prison for "serious offenders" is located next to the Pokémon League and can be easily seen after passing Champion Road. However, regardless of normal times or abnormal periods, unauthorized personnel are prohibited from approaching it.

"Ze Shu, and Miss Xiao Lan, please come in!"

The scholarly Woosh, the Sinnoh Psychic Elite Four member who is a permanent member of the Pokémon League, personally led Sawaki and Blue, who had come here, into the prison's "exercise" plaza.

The Mr. Mime following Wusong looked very serious, its five fingers, which were like suction cups, taut and straight, as if entering this prison was something it needed to be very wary of.

"Monini!"

"After all, this place holds people who have committed unforgivable crimes; it's a 'high-security prison,'" Wusong explained. "Some of them were even captured by Mr. Mime himself. He was quite injured when he first came in, so he's very sensitive every time he comes in."

"That Mr. Mime is amazing!"

Little Blue smiled and praised the Mr. Mime, making the Mr. Mime scratch its head shyly, its face turning red.

Ze Shu was looking around the prison.

This prison is a very "prison-like" building; from the outside, it looks like a lump of iron, covered with thick steel walls.

The steel fence and barbed wire, along with the watchtower guarded by sentinels introduced from the Unova region, are devoid of any artistic style.

The same was true inside. The patrolling League members had serious expressions, and the Pokémon accompanying them also had earnest eyes. They understood that many of these people were those who had harmed their Pokémon, so they would not let them escape. Zeshu saw quite a few people wearing standard prison uniforms; some looked peaceful, some looked dejected, and one guy stared at Zeshu, the newcomer, with hostile eyes.

Ze Shu was quite puzzled as to why this person was staring at him.

But after a moment's hesitation, Wusong said, "This person is a Pokémon Hunter under the Hunter's command. He was captured by... Zeshu. Among the 108 Pokémon Hunters under the Hunter's command that you captured, his crimes are considered the most serious."

With that explained, Ze Shu was no longer confused.

So it was the 108 heroes he captured! They're old acquaintances.

Ze Shu waved to the other person as a greeting.

But the other person was taken aback and had no choice but to avert their gaze and lower their head.

"By the way, aren't you afraid that these Pokémon hunters under Hunter J's command, who are imprisoned in the same prison as the hunters, might team up?" Ze Shu asked slowly, looking at the person who had lowered their head.

Wusong shook his head: "I'm not afraid. The prison is divided into several areas, and they don't usually come into contact with each other. Even if they do, the prison is full of Psychic Pokémon that I've trained, which can monitor and eavesdrop at any time."

"And when they usually get together..."

At this point, Wusong's expression turned strange:

"Most of the conversation is about you, the one who arrested them..."

Ze Shu asked with interest, "Oh? How did you talk about it?"

Wusong laughed and said, "While they are blaming each other and shirking responsibility, they will also curse you a few times, accusing you of using the methods you used to arrest them, saying that you are even more of a bandit than they are. They even made a little rag doll in your image, which they would punch a few times to vent their anger."

"These plush toys featuring Ze Shu are quite popular, and we've confiscated a lot of them, more than a dozen. When the champion of Bamboo Orchid first saw these flattened plush toys, he couldn't help but... cough, never mind."

Wusong quickly stopped talking.

Even if he hadn't said it, Ze Shu could guess that the champion of Zhu Lan had laughed out loud, right?

It's surprising that he has such a "fervent" "fan club" even in prison, and they've even started making "merchandise" for him.

Ze Shu shook his head and said:

"Sigh, never mind, just take me... to find Hunter J first."

"good.."

This "high-security prison" provides each "guest" with a room, which is like a cage and contains very few items. The hunter's room is even more rudimentary, with only a bed and four tiled walls.

Hunter J lay listlessly on the bed, his white hair cut short, and remained motionless.

Only when Ze Shu and Song Wu arrived did they make a slight noise, causing her to turn her head slightly and see them. She sneered, "Heh, I didn't expect to see you again."

Ze Shu crossed his arms and said, "Looks like you're not dead yet."

The hunter said coldly and sarcastically, "Thanks to you! I'm only paralyzed! All I can do every day is stare at this dilapidated and boring ceiling! It's all thanks to you!"

After their first meeting, he was shot by Sawaki and fell from the sky, leaving him partially paralyzed. He barely managed to move again by joining Team Galactic and obtaining the "Eternal Armor". But when he met Sawaki again, he suffered an even more crushing defeat.

Without the Eternal Armor to sustain its activities, it can only stare blankly at the ceiling in this prison every day, making each day feel like an eternity!

Upon seeing Zeju, the hunter's hatred was palpable.

But Ze Shu acknowledged her:

"You really are blessed by me."

It's worth noting that Hunter J is the only Pokémon character in the anime who has been explicitly stated to have died.

But she is still alive, "only paralyzed," and can lie in this prison contemplating life... This is indeed, as she said, thanks to Ze Shu.

However, for some people, death might be more acceptable than a "life sentence".

I just don't know if this Hunter J is one of "certain people".

Zeshu didn't care about that.

He glanced at the hunter J, then said to Wusong beside him, "Let's go."

Judging from Hunter J's attitude, it was clear that she wouldn't reveal the information about Zeki's purpose in coming here. So Zeki didn't waste any time and chose to leave first, considering it as a quick visit to Hunter J.

The next target, naturally, is another old friend of Ze Shu: Akari.

Following Wusong, Zeshu left the prison cell and headed to another area. "This is the prisoners' work area," Wusong explained as they walked.

"Most of the prisoners here are required to perform some form of labor, such as making handmade dolls or prop parts, which they then sell to the outside world. Although the money earned from these sales is a drop in the bucket, it still has its uses—some of it is used to help the victims."

Some will provide subsidies to Pokémon Centers to keep them running...

"Red Sun is here... Hmm, he's a model employee, we've arrived."

The pine tree stopped.

In a secluded corner of the workshop, Ze Shu saw Akari, head down on his workbench. His thin, downcast face was expressionless, and metal parts were scattered across the table in front of him.

Ze Shu walked in front of him, his footsteps not loud, even quiet, but Chi Ri couldn't possibly miss them. However, he didn't react, focusing only on the movements in his hands.

Ze Shu remained silent, simply watching him assemble the equipment.

He was assembling a Pokémon item. Ze Shu recognized it as a "forced forging device." This kind of forging device, which was as heavy as a sandbag, was not even considered difficult in Akari's hands. He gradually assembled it with his steady and skillful hands.

Wow, he can handcraft Pokémon items...

Ze Shu raised an eyebrow.

After Chi Ri finished crafting the forced forging device, he said, "As far as I know, this type of forging device is an old version. Nowadays, there are more convenient and efficient forging devices."

Chi Ri put the forced forging device away and took out a number of parts: "But that requires the use of equipment, and under the conditions in the prison, this is the only way to do it."

Ze Shu asked curiously, "What kind of props are you making this time? I don't recognize them."

Chi Ri said without looking up, "It's not a prop, but... a toy, a robot toy."

Ze Shu then asked, "Will the prison assign you any props to make?"

Chi Ri said, "We will be given a certain range of choices."

Ze Shu nodded, indicating that he understood: "I see..."

The sycamore tree in the distance watched their conversation silently, and couldn't help but feel surprised.

Despite being two adversaries, they weren't at all like Hunter J had been earlier. Instead, they chatted like old friends. This was simply... You know, in prison, Chi Ri ignored everyone and only did his own thing.

Xiao Lan silently followed Ze Shu, watching silently as well.

When Zeki and Team Galactic were fighting against Hunter J, she wasn't by his side, so she was completely unaware of what had happened here. This made her curiously observe and analyze their interactions.

Putting Hunter J aside, this Akari... seems to have a pretty good relationship with Sawaki!

Before long, the robot toy in Chi Ri's hands was finished again. He fiddled with it for a bit, put it away, and then looked up.

He said, "You wouldn't have the time or inclination to come visit me."

Ze Shu nodded and said honestly, "That's true. There's nothing worth visiting about a man as expressionless as you."

Chi Ri was silent for a moment before saying, "Just tell me why you've come."

Ze Shu sighed, "I came to resolve the dispute."

He briefly explained the situation to Chi Ri.

"So, your purpose in coming here is to ask me to provide a place for those Pokémon hunters to trade..." Akari said calmly and slowly. "To be honest, I do know that."

"But why should I oblige you every request?"

"We are enemies."

Ze Shu tapped the table with his knuckles before saying, "Isn't attempting to resolve disputes what your Galactic Team's motto is?"

"Providing you with information about the black market will also create conflict—a conflict between you and Pokémon Hunters," Red Sun said calmly, fiddling with a small part in his hand. "It's meaningless for me to eliminate one conflict only to create another."

Before Ze Shu could speak, Xiao Lan couldn't help but say, "But isn't it a good thing that the conflict has gone from Pokémon hunters stealing trainers' Pokémon to the League arresting Pokémon hunters?!"

Chi Ri remained unmoved, saying calmly, "What I want is to eliminate all conflict in this world. What you've said... means nothing to me."

Xiao Lan then realized: This guy named Chi Ri was actually a lunatic!

What "eliminating all conflict in the world"? Isn't that just wanting to destroy the world? Luckily, Ze Shu caught him!

Sometimes, it's about the persistent and dedicated dreamer.

They are even more terrifying than truly evil people!

"We're not here to debate with you," Ze Shu shook his head and said to Chi Ri. "After all, you're already locked up here, everything has been settled, and I don't want to argue with you. What I want now is just some information."

"This is an exchange, or rather, a transaction."

After saying this, it was a long pause before Akari looked up and said, "Okay."

Zeshu asked, "What do you want?"

Chi Ri closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, saying, "I want to see a Rotom—there should be a Rotom living in my ancestral home in Binhai City. It... it's been my friend since childhood, maybe it's attached to a lawnmower in the corner of the ancestral home..."

"Let me see it, and I'll give you the information you want."

Ze Shu nodded: "Okay."

Akari took out the robot toy he had just made and handed it to Zeshu, saying, "It's a bit timid and doesn't like going out. When you see it, let it see this toy, and it will understand."

Binhai City isn't far from the prison next to the Pokémon League; after all, Ze Shu had wandered around here before. Blue skies, white clouds, and azure waves—Ze Shu's spaceship sailed through the air above the outskirts.

"What? This is the place where we first met. Let's go for a walk."

He put the apple juice in his hand into the Articuno's nest to freeze it, then casually rubbed the Articuno's cool and soft head, earning it a helpless eye roll in return. After that, Ze Shu looked at the fluffy sheep lying on the edge of the deck.

"Meow—"

The fluffy sheep bleated with a drawn-out tone.

It remembered that when it first met Ze Shu, Ze Shu kicked it a long way!

Despite feeling aggrieved when recalling it, the fluffy sheep didn't dare to do anything. In the end, it still followed Ze Shu down the spaceship with its hairless, bald pink bottom sticking out.

However, the first thing to do upon arriving in Binhai City is to visit Chiri's so-called ancestral home.

Sunlight reflectors can be seen everywhere in Binhai City, and some have even been paved into roads. Ze Shu walked among them with Rong Rong Yang, and even saw that the Binhai Gym had opened, with "Namikaze Minato" "diligently" welcoming challengers inside.

It's likely that the recent Pokémon Hunter crisis forced him to stay at his post and protect the city.

Chi Ri's ancestral home is on the edge of Binhai City, and you can see it after walking for more than ten minutes. It is a two-story house with vines and weeds covering the outside, and it looks like it has been uninhabited for a long time.

Xiao Lan pushed open the gate to the yard. The wooden gate creaked and groaned, as if it were about to collapse.

Then there was a "bang".

The door fell down.

Xiao Lan blinked: "Just how long has it been since we last stayed here...?"

Before she could finish speaking, a buzzing sound, like an old machine being forced to run, suddenly rang out, startling Xiao Lan.

Then, grass clippings flew everywhere in the yard as an old lawnmower roared and suddenly charged toward Little Blue at the gate!

"Danger..."

Little Blue exclaimed in surprise and quickly lunged to the side.

Perhaps the lawnmower was too old and not sensitive enough, because Xiao Lan easily dodged its attack by lunging to the side.

But Xiao Lan dodged it.

The fluffy sheep, standing blankly behind Little Blue, was stunned.

"Meh, meh?!"

Why is that lawnmower coming towards it?!

Its wool has become "bald" since it evolved, and this lawnmower is buzzing towards it, isn't it going to "remove" all of its remaining wool?!

"Meow meow meow meow meow one!!!!"

Don't believe this horrible thing!!!

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