chsdbacks Chapter 222 The Wisdom of the Pheasant.
Chapter 222 The Wisdom of the Pheasant.
Chapter 222 The Wisdom of the Pheasant.
"What?! You guys don't have any money?!"
Inside a secluded room in the ancestral hall of Beishang Township.
The gaunt old man, dressed in a bulky purple outfit like an ancient priest, opened his eyes, revealing a fierce glint in them. He raised his hand and slammed it down on the table with a loud "thud."
"Your Beishang Township built this so-called 'Evil Ghost Paradise,' it's so big, it must have cost a fortune, right? What, you have the money to build this, but not the money to pay us 'atonement fees'?"
"We have traveled a great distance from United States to get here."
"You actually told us—"
"No money?"
The uniformed personnel standing in a circle behind the old man were also glaring angrily.
The bald-headed administrator from Beishang Township across from him was so nervous that he became extremely nervous.
"This big, big guy from the Plasma Team, we really, really..."
"...No, I don't have any money."
He nodded and bowed reflexively, his smooth forehead covered in sweat.
But what he said was still so empty and perfunctory, and his beady eyes were filled with tension and... his mind was wandering.
"Previously, it was because our Plasma Team protected Kitakami Township that you were spared the attack of the 'evil spirits.' Now, you're placing the evil spirits on a throne and denying our long-standing contributions?"
"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who have too little."
"Humans are born sinful, and Pokémon that come into contact with humans will suffer misfortune. Therefore, Team Plasma has always advocated and promoted the idea of releasing Pokémon back into nature."
"And there are differences between Pokémon as well."
"Your 'evil spirit' from Beishang Township is still an evil spirit. If you don't pay this 'atonement fee,' hehe, even if you worship it, I can't guarantee it won't occasionally devour a human."
No matter how earnestly Vio, one of the seven sages of Team Plasma, advised him, he was still in danger.
But perhaps it's because his own theories are full of flaws.
The administrator from Beishang Township opposite him remained unmoved.
Even when he was "missionary".
The administrator even subtly pursed his lips, revealing a confident expression that made Vio feel uneasy.
It was as if this so-called administrator had powerful backers who could wipe out their plasma team.
"What kind of expression is that!?"
"N-nothing..."
The administrator's behavior remained one of bowing and scraping.
But you asked him for money?
Sorry, no, we don't have that.
This infuriated the seven sages of Team Plasma.
The plasma team has a long-standing tradition of extorting protection money from Beishang Township.
In the past, collecting "protection fees" in Beishang Township was always smooth sailing, with the administrator always offering the fees respectfully. But now, why is it so difficult to collect them?
How was he supposed to explain this to Quixote?
Moreover, they even established a place called "Evil Paradise," which greatly reduced the conflicts in Kitakami Township and allowed humans and Pokémon to understand each other.
In this way, humans and Pokémon can understand each other.
How can Team Plasma then monopolize the power of Pokémon?!
Although Team Plasma verbally promotes the Pokémon protection concept of "liberating Pokémon and giving them freedom."
But as one of the seven sages of Team Plasma, Vio knew very well that they only wanted to use this idea to make other trainers give up Pokémon so that Team Plasma could monopolize the power of Pokémon.
What a grand plan their plasma team has!
But now.
Even in this small area of Beishang Township, they are "rebeling against them!"
The old man's face was grim. He slammed his hand on the table and pointed at the bald administrator with trembling fingers: "You! Fine! Just you wait! Without the protection of our Plasma Team, let this demon go and devour people!"
"After it eats people, don't you dare beg and plead to pay us 'atonement' again!"
Their "negotiations" ended quickly.
When Ze Shu received the administrator's notice and arrived at the Beishang Township Ancestral Hall, he saw an elderly woman dressed in bulky purple clothes slam the door shut and storm out of the ancestral hall.
"You'll regret this!"
He was so angry that he completely lost the dignified and respected demeanor one would expect from a church bishop.
All that could be seen was exasperation.
Ze Shu hid E Gui Peng behind his back. The old man, perhaps too angry to notice, brushed past him and saw him storming down the steps of the ancestral hall.
Then, perhaps because of his anger, the old man didn't notice the vines that occasionally grew on the wooden steps of the ancestral hall. He tripped and fell to his knees with a "plop" down the stairs, rolling and tumbling all the way.
"My back!"
"Hurry up and help me up!"
Covered in blood, he was helped up and led away with a limp, his complaints still faintly audible: "Damn it!"
Damn it! Damn it! I'll make sure this place regrets it!
Ze Shu watched his miserable state silently, like a passerby: "Haa."
"Bonito?"
Ergui turned to look at him, looking as guilty as a child who had done something wrong.
"Don't be guilty!" Ze Shu rubbed its cheek, then pointed to the earphone on its ear and laughed, "This old thing, if it just fell down, we'll really let him off the hook—he just said some bad things about you, like you'd eat people or something."
"Bonnie!"
Egui slightly puffed out his cheeks.
How could it eat people?! That's pure fabrication!
"You... are that masked demon, aren't you..."
"My lord! My adoptive father said not to talk to strangers!"
At that moment, a slightly hesitant voice came from the side.
Ze Shu turned to look and saw that it was a group of people who had just come out of the reception room on the other side of the ancestral hall. There were two women and one man. The two women had yellow and pink hair, while the man had shiny green hair.
Ze Shu looked at the man in surprise.
Hey, isn't this N?
The only leader in Team Plasma who truly wants to "liberate Pokémon".
It is said to be the product of a Pokémon mating with a human. Well, that's not certain, but this N does have the ability to communicate with Pokémon and sense their feelings.
"Who are you?" Ze Shu still had to ask.
"N."
N replied.
Perhaps because of Ovi's fall, all the Plasma Team members rushed to help him up, giving N a little free time. This silenced the two sisters behind N, who watched Ze Shu with tense wariness.
Ze Shu asked again, "Is something the matter?"
N paused for a moment, then turned to look at Egui, who was being led by Ze Shu, and asked, somewhat presumptuously:
"you..."
What's your opinion of this person?
He felt a surge of malice and hatred.
Ask it for its opinion on the swamp tree.
Need I say more?
Ergui raised her little face and shouted loudly, "Bonnie!"
That's my absolute favorite! The kind where we'd be together for decades, even centuries! They just made that promise!
N murmured, "My favorite...?"
He clenched his fist, as if he had confirmed something, and then left in silence.
The evil spirit looked at him with utter disgust.
What a strange person.
"Lord Sawaki—Lord Sawaki—you've finally arrived!!"
"You must protect our Beishang Township!!!"
The bald-headed administrator from Beishang Township finally ran out shouting, his face streaked with tears. The old bald man was practically weeping by the foot of the Ze tree.
Ze Shu:
"·......"
"Don't rush," he said.
"I'm so worried!" the bald caretaker cried and screamed. "He said the evil spirit is going to eat people! The evil spirit is really going to eat people!"
What should we do then?!
"Bonnie!!"
Egui glared at him angrily.
The bald-headed administrator, having briefly proven his point, quickly corrected himself with a bright smile, "I... I meant! This 'evil spirits eating people' was a metaphor, yes."
"A metaphor! Maybe Team Plasma is going to disguise themselves as demons and devour the people of Kitakami Township!"
Ze Shu: "Over the years, haven't Team Plasma eaten enough of you guys?"
The bald-headed administrator cried, "It's a lot! But it can't be any less! What are we going to do! Investigator, you're the only one we can rely on in Kitakami Township!"
Ze Shu: "Don't be in such a hurry."
He smiled slightly and said, "The development of Beishang Township has been quite good recently, hasn't it?"
The bald-headed administrator was stunned and said, "You mean..."
Ze Shu: "I mean, there should at least be surveillance, right?"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Even after returning to their Plasma Team's residence in Kitakami Township, Vio was still seething with anger, which almost made him crush the new cane he was using.
But he was still angry and wanted to smash the cane in his hand to the ground!
click!
"My back!"
Before the cane even hit the ground, Vio clutched his waist and groaned in pain.
It's strange. He's never fallen before, yet he tripped and fell down the stairs. He must be too angry. The plasma team members around him thought this as they looked at Vio clutching his waist in pain.
"Sage, why don't you take a rest... and leave the rest to us..."
For those who comply, Team Plasma will subtly take the Pokémon from them through "education" and gradually erode them.
Team Plasma naturally has its own methods for dealing with those who do not comply.
This is no less serious than extortion, framing, or planting a false accusation...
They are already very skilled at this.
Now, Beishang Township has changed from "obedience" to "disobedience".
"No! I want to do it myself!"
"This matter is not as simple as it was in the United States. It requires caution and careful planning. I will do it personally. I must give the people of Kitakami Township a heavy blow and make them continue to obediently offer us tribute as before."
Vio clutched his waist, his face angry and gloomy.
But a short while later...
The Plasma Seven Sages, with a back brace and a cane, appeared on the merchant street in the Evil Wonderland. Seeing the sign above that read "Kiji Chicken's Pheromone Shop," he went inside.
"Chirp chirp!"
The pheasant sat listlessly at the front desk.
Having 90% of its profits taken away by its 'master' has left it somewhat listless, but the pheasant is quite content with it and dares not voice any objections—after all, Ze Shu has allowed it to make money!
Instead of being pelted with stones by tourists under the statue of the vengeful monkey wielding a large stick.
After all, this pheasant was originally a profession.
"You are...."
"The three treasured companions previously worshipped in Beishang Township—one of them being the auspicious pheasant?"
The new, returning customer didn't select any items; instead, he asked the receptionist this question.
The pheasant responded with a single chirp.
It's no longer Pokémon, but just an ordinary shopkeeper, working hard for the development of Kitakami Township—well, this is what it "realized" from learning "Pokémon Ethics and Code of Conduct"—it will only be freed after passing an exam a hundred years from now!
"Oh, you're so pitiful. From being worshipped at the beginning, you've now been reduced to a slave. I heard that another monkey is being pelted with stones every day, his head covered in bumps?"
"grumble?!"
The pheasant squinted at the old man who seemed to have ill intentions.
Vio chuckled and said slowly in a seductive tone:
"So, do you want to...?"
"To return to that status?"
"Having regained the offerings from Beishang Township, you can take whatever you want, do whatever you want, and squander and use Beishang Township's resources as you please?"
The pheasant's eyes darted around, its beautiful feathers framing its pretty face, radiating joyful pheromones as it asked with interest:
"Chirp, chirp?"
"Hehehe, since you're interested, let's start talking about it..."
Vio softened his tone and discussed the matter with Ji Zhiji word by word, a gleam of triumphant success in his eyes.
These three companions were indeed as rumored; they were driven only by greed and could be easily manipulated into serving his purposes.
The people of Kitakami Village are really too carefree to release the three Pokémon so easily. They're really too bold. No one in Kitakami Village would have thought that they would actually attack these three Pokémon.
"I want you to destroy this evil paradise by disguising yourself as a demon. This way, the residents of Kitakami Township will regain their faith in your power, and you will be able to receive their worship again."
"Having lived this long, I've gained some insight into understanding people's hearts. These people in Beishang Township still harbor resentment towards 'evil spirits,' unlike their faith in you, Baoban."
"Chirp chirp!"
"No? Why? Ha, don't want to take the risk? Think about the status and reputation you'll gain after it's done, and you'll understand how worthwhile our actions will be."
"Still not working? Ah!"
Vio felt that his three companions were not suited for great things.
But Jizhi's eyes darted around, and he instead suggested something else.
"Chirp chirp!"
"The roar of the bear in the Everlasting Forest? I've heard of it too. There's an extremely powerful bear Pokémon that lives in the Everlasting Forest. What if we faked a demon invasion to lure out the Pokémon from the Everlasting Forest and let it wreak havoc in Kitakami Township—"
"That works too!"
"Chirp chirp!"
"Okay! Let's do it that way!"
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
"What? You want me to buy a few bottles of perfume?"
"Alright, alright, consider this a pre-sale settlement for our continued cooperation... What! Fifty thousand Alliance Coins for a bottle of perfume!"
"I...okay! I'll buy it!"
Vio left the pheromone store clutching his empty purse, his face grim, plotting to extort several times the amount back after the collaboration ended.
Only after he had gone far away did the pheasant cover its face with its beautiful wings and laugh mockingly.
An hour after the Seven Sages of Team Plasma and Kichiji began their "negotiations".
Like a lackey, the pheasant stealthily appeared in front of Zeshu.
"Chirp chirp chirp!!"
"Oh? An eternal forest? A bear? That's what that guy's planning to do?"