chsdbacks Chapter 124 Treasure Companion Plaza? No, Evil Crescent Plaza!
Chapter 124 Treasure Companion Plaza? No, Evil Crescent Plaza!
Chapter 124 Treasure Companion Plaza? No, Evil Crescent Plaza!
Inside a room at the community center.
Ze Shu handed the "Well Mask," "Stove Mask," and "Foundation Stone Mask" to E Gui one by one. Seeing the surprise and slight sadness in E Gui's eyes upon seeing these masks, and thinking that E Gui might be recalling painful events from hundreds of years ago, he said softly:
"The past cannot be changed, but at least for now, we are with you."
Ergui shook his head: "Boni..."
It silently folded the mask, hugged it to its chest for a moment, and then carefully stacked it in the corner.
Next, seeing Ze Shu sitting on the bed, it pressed itself against him, its cheek against Ze Shu's waist, a warm, happy expression spreading across its face.
"Bonnie!"
Heartbreak has been a sorrow for centuries.
What Egui understands most now is to cherish the people in front of him and his companions.
Watching Egui Peng nestle against him, his eyes brimming with happiness, slowly close, Ze Shu smiled and whispered, "Sleep now, you're very tired tonight."
After poking the soft, orange cheeks of the Eevee, and then rubbing the cool, soft body of the Ice Eevee that was already curled up beside him and habitually occupied the bed, Ze Shu slowly lay down as well.
early morning.
Sunlight streamed down.
The facilities at this community center aren't great, but at least it's well-lit. The warm sunlight shines on Egui's face, making him appear serene and comforted.
It would be better if you didn't hug me too tightly!
Ze Shu was breathing with difficulty.
It felt really good to have the eerie face pressed against his.
But as the dream deepened, Ergui Peng gradually murmured words of timid yet satisfied reluctance, and the little hands around his neck clung tighter and tighter.
Perhaps it was being found by Zeki, making many friends, and then defeating Baoban with Zeki's help to retrieve the mask. These incredible but real events, taken individually, would make Egui incredibly happy.
Yet, a series of events occurred throughout the day, making the eerie creature feel as if it were in a dream, but also making it feel unreal.
What can Zeshu do?
He could only keep comforting the ghost, so that it could feel this definite reality even in its sleep.
But he did not sleep very well.
Xiao Lan saw Ze Shu coming out of his room from the living room.
Then I saw this scene: Ze Shu was yawning and washing up, which was rare for him. Beside him was a spirited Glaceon and a guilty-looking Evil.
"Ze Shu?" Xiao Lan asked疑惑地, "Were you completely drained?"
"Hmm." Ze Shu subconsciously hummed in response, then realized and said, "Huh? What....:
Xiao Lan laughed and said:
"I think Ze Shu has been completely drained!"
"Then let the building manager who's been waiting outside since early this morning wait a little longer."
Anyway, we're not in a hurry.
"Uh, ugh...!"
Community Center, Zeshu Floor, Lobby.
Looking at the Pokémon around him glaring at him with "fierce" eyes—Blastoise, Growlithe, Weasel, and Gryphon—the community center administrator felt a cold sweat break out on his brow: "This, this..."
"Sir Inspector, you said last night that you wanted to see me?"
Ze Shu hummed in agreement.
Xiao Lan, who was acting as his secretary, spoke first, her tone leaving no room for refusal:
"Tell me, where exactly did our alliance's funding go?"
The administrator opened his mouth, forcing a smile as he tried to explain, "Well, we also have our own unavoidable difficulties..."
But Xiao Lan interrupted again, saying, "I found out that the alliance's funding went into a designated account, but the money in that account has been slowly and unconsciously draining away. It's not being used for the construction of Beishang Township at all. What's going on? How do you explain this?"
"You don't need to give any 'reasons,' we don't want to hear them."
"Did you embezzle all this money, or what?"
"Please state the facts directly!"
The administrator's face paled, and he kept saying "This, this..." but couldn't say anything more.
But they face vicious Pokémon around them, as well as the threat of the "League".
His face finally darkened, and he said, "This, this is the deepest secret of our Beishang Township, known only to the head of the clan who manages the finances each generation. It concerns the life and death of our Beishang Township..."
Ze Shu gave a puzzled "Oh," and asked:
"What secret?"
The rumors about evil spirits have all been resolved.
What other secrets could possibly concern the ancestral hall in Beishang Township?
The administrator replied, "Yes, it's protection money."
"Most of this money goes to protection money for an organization. Otherwise, otherwise, we'll suffer consequences far worse than evil spirits invading the village and the villagers being killed!"
"I...I witnessed the horror of that organization firsthand."
Ze Shumei asked, "What organization?"
The administrator paused for a moment, as if recalling something, then whispered:
"They, they're called... Team Plasma!"
The moment he uttered the words "plasma team,"...
There was a moment of silence.
The administrator assumed that Ze Shu and the others would also be "afraid" upon hearing this name.
He quickly said:
"I've heard that they're in Unova, an organization that promotes Pokémon protection, but they're actually terrifying! If you don't pay enough money, then... that 'Naraka Fukushiki,' hailed as one of the 'Six Chosen in the North,' used to be a mountain, but now..."
But to everyone's surprise, Ze Shu interrupted with a smile:
"So, you Beishang Township are using the Alliance's money to support an evil organization?"
Xiao Lan scribbled furiously: "Supporting an evil organization is more serious than embezzlement; it's a crime two levels higher!"
The administrator's face suddenly turned pale, and he hurriedly explained, "We...we had no choice!"
"They threatened us that we couldn't tell the Alliance. If we did, our Beishang Township would be razed to the ground like the mountain that was previously moved to 'Mingfu Qishi' before the Alliance's support arrived."
"After all, our Kitakami Township is quite far from the Sinnoh region..."
"So, when you went to the ancestral hall to steal... to take the mask, I didn't dare... didn't dare to expose myself. I could only give you the mask and beg you not to continue the investigation."
"Because this concerns the very survival of our Beishang Township!"
That's what the administrator said.
His face seemed to reveal an expression of "compromising" and "sacrificing a lot for the greater good."
But Ze Shu suddenly asked, "So, besides threatening them, what else did they do?"
The administrator's "compromising" expression immediately turned into a meek reply: "No, not yet, we pay our protection fees on time."
Ze Shu asked, "Besides money, did they also 'visit' Beishang Township? Did they give you any presentations or guidance?"
The administrator lowered his head: "No, not yet. They come relatively infrequently; the people in the video footage are mostly elderly. But the one I remember most vividly is a child with green hair who came to our Beishang Township to 'experience' life."
"But perhaps even though we've paid enough money, they haven't changed our Beishang Township."
Ze Shu sneered and said, "So, you believed the Plasma Team's empty threats?"
He looked at Kitakami Township, which did not show any signs of being "ravaged" by Team Plasma—the Pokémon had not been "separated" from the humans, and most of the people in Kitakami Township still lived with their Pokémon.
Team Plasma is still modifying Unova.
We haven't yet had the resources to promote Beishang Township.
Moreover, Zeki knew that Team Plasma's reputation in Unova had not yet been labeled as an evil organization.
This shows that they don't even dare to openly confront the Unova League, so why would they add the Sinnoh League to the mix?
"I bet the Plasma Team is laughing their heads off too. They just threatened you, showed off their so-called strength, and you bunch of Northern Country folk obediently handed over your money. You're all idiots!"
Ze Shu said sarcastically.
So, does that mean the entire Beishang Township was turned into fuel for the plasma cluster spaceship, or rather, became a blood bag for them to suck blood?
Adding to the "misunderstanding" surrounding Ergui, he even wondered if Momoiro had released poison gas, reducing the intelligence of these Kitakami villagers to the level of Slowpoke, otherwise...
Why would I do these stupid things again and again?
The administrator shrugged: "No, impossible..."
Ze Shu interrupted, "Or is it that all of this, including the 'Plasma Team,' was just a fabricated excuse to hide the money you embezzled?"
The administrator frantically shook his head, denying: "No, no, it's not true..."
"It can be proven that the records secretly left behind by our successive generations of imperial clansmen can prove that we have always been threatened by the Plasma Team."
Looking at the administrator's uneasy face.
Ze Shu scoffed and asked, "When is the next time you so-called 'protection money' is due?"
Administrator: "Six months, approximately five months later..."
Ze Shu said, "When the time comes, don't pay any so-called 'protection money,' but instead... contact me."
What could the administrator do? The matter had been exposed, so naturally he could only agree to Ze Shu's request. When he left Ze Shu's room, his mind was completely blank.
He had no idea what he would experience in the future.
He didn't know whether it would be a punishment from the league or the "annihilation" of Team Plasma.
How could he not want to be a good clan official?
But now that the League knows about it, the matter has been taken over by that Inspector and the Sinnoh League. Maybe he can be a good sect leader now?
The administrator was thinking just that.
Suddenly, a clang rang out, and the soldier with the dagger, his body gleaming with cold light and sharp spikes, rushed out. He looked like a grim reaper before him, filling the soldier with fear. The soldier thought in panic, "W-wondering, are they going to kill me to silence me...?"
Of course, the purpose was not to "kill and silence" them.
Instead, he was captured by the Komato soldier and brought back to Sawaki.
"By the way, you people from Beishang Township are so stupid, I didn't even have time to tell you the important things I wanted to discuss."
"Baoban Plaza, was it destroyed?"
Ze Shu said.
The administrator paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Yes. You intend to...."
He couldn't understand why Ze Shu wanted to bring this up.
They had already decided to swallow this loss and rebuild Baoban Square themselves.
As he was pondering this, he heard Ze Shu say leisurely, "After all, the destruction of Baoban Plaza can also be considered my fault, so perhaps I can help rebuild Baoban Plaza and do my part."
The administrator exclaimed in disbelief, "Really?!"
To be honest, after paying the "protection fee," they didn't have much property left in Beishang Township, and he was worried about it!
Unexpectedly, after hearing their "pitiful" story of being charged protection money, the inspector was moved with compassion and actually offered to help them go north to the countryside!
The administrator felt as if he had been hit by a huge sum of money falling from the sky.
Ze Shu slowly said, "So, what do you think is a suitable amount of money I should offer?"
The administrator became somewhat hesitant, saying, "We spent one million Alliance Coins to build Baoban Plaza, and now it's damaged. Could you... could you..."
Ze Shu said, "Just one million? Okay."
Administrator: "Huh? This, this..."
He himself found the amount of "one million" outrageous. He had originally planned to compromise by "first agreeing to demolish the roof, then agreeing to demolish the windows," but he never expected the other party to agree so readily!
Ze Shu smiled and said, "Since I've invested one million, isn't it...?"
The administrator, as if struck by an even greater surprise, hurriedly said, "You are our biggest client! Whatever your request, we can fulfill it!"
"Since that's the case..."
Ze Shu smiled, pulled Er Guipeng, who was staring blankly at the "negotiation scene," to his side, and said:
"My request is not much, I just want to add another statue in Baoban Square, and to make the original Baoban statue more detailed and change its pose."
Upon hearing this request...
The administrator was dumbfounded: "This, this..."
Add another statue, a statue of a demon?
Half of them are evil demons.
How can this be!
This completely goes against the traditions of their Beishang Township!
After paying "protection money," they relied on agriculture and tourism to make a living in Beishang Township. They attracted people to the tourism industry by relying on the legend of their "heroic" Baoban.
But now add a statue dedicated to evil spirits...:
How could this be!
It caused immense destruction to their Beishang Township!
But faced with Ze Shu, his major benefactor, the administrator dared not disobey and could only stammer:
"The addition of the demon statue is still under discussion. But, but you said the treasure companion should be sculpted more meticulously, that's definitely not a problem, and as for how to change the pose..."
Ze Shu smiled:
"Change it to a kneeling position."
"The statue of Baoban kneels before the statue of Egui, who is holding a large club, and begs for mercy."
"Isn't that a very simple request?"
"The remains of the three companions I injured yesterday will be buried under the kneeling companion statue, suppressing them while also collecting their corpses... Of course, if the companions are willing to become guardians of the 'Evil Ghost Guangba,' they can be given a certain amount of freedom."
Ze Shu said quite a bit, but what he said startled one of the administrators: "Huh?!"
Ergui smirked: "Bonnie?"
It never expected that Ze Shu would do this for it.
After hesitating for a moment, the administrator reluctantly said:
"We can't agree to that. Could we... could you please take back your investment?"
If this "Bao Ban Guang Bus" is really built, then the person who spearheaded the change will definitely be drowned by the people of Beishang Township!
But Ze Shu maintained the devilish smile that the administrator had in his eyes, and he said softly:
"No, you can't."
"I want to invest, why are you refusing? That's not fair."
"Furthermore, I will also erect a plaque on the 'Egui Guangba' that was built afterward, and write down the true history, the history of how you Beishang Township people reformed."
The administrator's eyes widened, and cold sweat poured down his face.
No, you're not saying "Bao Ban Guang Ba" anymore, you're just saying "E Gui Guang Ba" instead, right?
But when faced with Ze Shu's smiling face, there was a hidden threat.
He lowered his head, completely at a loss for what to do.
Furthermore, what is true history?
Baoban Square on the outskirts of Cuilv Town.
Ze Shu had brought the administrator here with the intention of "observing Qiao Xing and guiding the construction." But as soon as he arrived, he saw Dan Yu and Wu Li, the siblings, running up breathlessly, saying things like, "We, we have something to tell you."
Before Ze Shu could even begin to doubt, Dan Yu and Wu Li began to recount the events of several hundred years ago.
At this point, the administrator finally learned what Ze Shu meant by "the real history," but he did not believe it, or rather, he was unwilling to believe it.
Even the ghost being pulled along by Ze Shu was stunned by what it heard: "..."
It never imagined that the kind-hearted craftsman from several hundred years ago would have preserved this piece of history...
After finishing this series of stories, Danyu took a breath, looked down at Zeshu, and said:
"Therefore, Mr. Zeshu, you unpredictable trainer, we wish to use your power to spread this long-forgotten history!"
Ze Shu laughed: "It's just a coincidence."
Danyu was stunned for a moment: "What a coincidence? What is it...?"
Not long after, Danyu learned that Zeshu had sponsored the construction of "Egui Guangba".
Her eyes widened: "Really..."
She thought it was already quite impressive that they had the courage to spread this history, but she never expected that there were even experts who could transform Baoban Guangba into Egui Guangba!
Wu Li, who was hiding behind Dan Yu, also opened his mouth wide and exclaimed, "So amazing... I can't compare to him at all."
At this moment, he truly admired Zeki, and his original desire to become a "Demon" trainer was completely dead.
Ze Shu, holding E Gui's hand, smiled and said, "So, I'd like to ask you to be ambassadors for this E Gui Guangba, what do you say?"
Danyu hesitated instead, saying, "We'd love to accept. However, we'll be going to Blueberry Academy soon, and I'm afraid..."
Ze Shu replied, "Whether it's in Beishang Township or not doesn't matter; online publicity is still publicity."
At this moment, the administrator hurriedly exclaimed, "This, this plan to build the 'Egui Guangba Chou' isn't even finished yet, how could you...?"
But when Ze Shu turned to look at him, the administrator became quiet, his words faltering, and he could only turn to Qiao in a low, seemingly aggrieved voice: "This,
This needs to be discussed and agreed upon...
Ze Shu hummed in agreement.
"I can give you a reason: one of the purposes of your Beishang Township using Baoban as a 'promotional point' is to attract more tourists and generate more economic benefits for you, right?"
"Compared to this weak, dull-witted monkey and the awesome dog, wouldn't it be more effective to promote something more aesthetically pleasing like the bizarre?"
The administrator looked distressed.
While this approach might be more effective, the biggest problem is that the villagers won't accept it!
If this is implemented, he'll be the one drowning in spit!
The precious companion you worshipped your whole life is a brutal perpetrator;
The evil that one rejects and drives away throughout one's life is, in fact, the victim of goodness.
If this matter gets out and spreads online, it will become a huge topic.
The people of Kitakami Village will be thoroughly shamed—misunderstood as a kind Pokémon for hundreds of years, and the label of its foolishness will surely be firmly nailed to every person in Kitakami Village.
In other words, anyone could use this matter to discredit the people from the northern countryside.
But this was something the people of Beishang Township brought upon themselves.
Ze Shu retorted without hesitation, "This is the truth, and you have no choice but to accept it."
"If you want to get rid of or eliminate this label, it will depend on how you people from the northwards behave in front of the people in the future..."
The construction plan for "Evil Guangba".
With a smile that was one part goodwill and ninety-nine parts threat, the administrator finally made the decision.
Moreover, the economy of Beishang Township is already in dire straits. No matter what we do, it will only improve. Why worry about change?
No matter what, once the "Plasma Team" incident is exposed, this administrator will definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame.
With the addition of several "Evil and Deceitful" construction projects that violated ancestral precepts, he was "not worried about having too much debt."
What if this construction of the strange and wonderful Guangba can revive the economy of Beishang Township?
As the one who was ultimately chosen—and was threatened into choosing—he can certainly salvage some of his reputation.
So he agreed, with a resolute and do-or-die attitude.
Danyu and Wuli volunteered to become the publicity ambassadors for the Evil-Guangba, and their current task is to promote the area and write the text for the future Beishang Township story monument.
Ze Shu wanted to say, "It's okay, there's plenty of time," and even wanted to pay, but the two siblings were so excited that they refused to accept it no matter what. Ze Shu had no choice but to decide to give it to their grandfather later.
The construction of the Guangba will ultimately take time.
Ze Shu couldn't leave immediately; he needed to wait at least two or three more days to prevent any accidents involving "E Gui Guang Ba".
so.::
Zeshu was finally able to begin his "leisurely life" in Kitakami Township.
But considering the fear the people of Beishang Township had of him.
Going out is boring, so it's better to stay "at home".
Xiao Lan suggested, "Let's go see a movie together! I see there's a big screen in the main room of the community center!"
that's it.
Draw the curtains to block out the light, plunging the living room into a dim, dark atmosphere.
Xiao Lan L lowered the projection screen and secretly chose a horror movie. Then she quickly retreated to the soft sofa, hugging Fang Ding with a big smile. Qiao and Ze Shu snuggled together shoulder to shoulder.
The sofa was surrounded by all their Pokémon, almost filling it to the brim. Glaceon, as the "main character," was the first to snuggle up in the sofa, while the clueless Eevee was extremely curious about the "movie" next to it.
Behind the sofa floated a snow fairy, gently wrapping her soft, icy hands around Ze Shu's neck;
The Growlithe and Kitty huddle under the sofa, which also serves as a soft footrest:
Little Blue's Nidoran sniffed around and, treating Farfetch'd's green onion as a "snack," took a bite out of it when it wasn't looking.
All that remained was the panicked expression on the giant green onion duck's face;
Blastoise could only huddle in a corner; it was too big, so it could only watch from an awkward position that didn't block everyone's view.
Everyone was eating snacks they had pulled out from under the bowl.
Watching a "horror" movie, spending a normal and relaxing afternoon...
Six-Tails originally thought so too.
But it noticed that everyone's snacks were taken out of the pot.
After it proved divine intervention, it was unbelievable:
"Oh, oh, oh?!"
Zeshu took a crunchy bite of the "Crispy Potato Chips" and said:
"Right? Little Six-Tails, you can't believe it either, can you? You suddenly found that the 'Pot of the Monster' has so many snacks. When you asked the 'Pot of the Monster,' it didn't know how they came to be there either. It's really strange..."
"Great, let's just use these as food for the movie."
"Ou Ming..."
Upon hearing this, Liuwei's eyes welled up with tears.
It felt so wronged.
Bad Zeju, bad trainer.
The trainer definitely did it on purpose.
Half of it was a snack that it had painstakingly hidden away!
Horror movies are slowly starting to be shown.
Ze Shu, however, became "busy":
"Hey, Pummel is a Pokémon known as 'Ghost'... You could kill a Mismagius in the movie with a single hit, so don't be afraid."
"Foam Chipmunk, stop cleaning now! Let's enjoy this movie time together..."
"Little Ice Eevee, okay, okay, the trainer is here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, pat pat...: ...No, Eevee, you're not afraid at all, why are you rubbing against me like you're all scared?"
"Bu, bu yi..."
3
Ice Eevee blushed and hurriedly explained.
"Why are you leaning against me, Little Blue?"
"Birds, there's a big-billed finch in the movie... You know, I have ornithophobia, so of course I'm afraid of birds too."
"But this is through a screen, okay..."
Ze Shu didn't notice during the movie screening.
The screen of the communication device beside him lit up, displaying the message: [Zhu Lan: I've arrived in Kanto. I'm waiting for you to finish your trip to Kitakami Village so you can quickly come and guide me to the underwater ruins.]