chsdbacks Chapter 113 The Gravedigger of the Ferry
Chapter 113 The Gravedigger of the Ferry
Chapter 113 The Gravedigger of the Ferry
Tsukimiyama.
Ze Shu searched all the way here.
As Xiaochun had said before, this place has been completely destroyed.
Large swathes of mud and rocks poured down, creating a scene like a quicksand waterfall; trees were snapped, and fresh grass was turned upside down by the mud, creating a chaotic mess; the entire mountain was unrecognizable, with no road leading up to it.
even.
Zeshu also saw groups of Pipi running away on the road.
As they passed by, they saw Ze Shu searching for a way up the mountain, and he had an incredibly cute expression on his face. One of the dogs, Pipi, even tugged at Ze Shu's hand, advising him not to go up the mountain.
"Pee, pee...!"
"It's alright, it's alright...you guys should go now..."
Zeshu certainly wouldn't flee with Clefairy and the others. He even gave them some of his own Pokémon food as provisions for their escape.
This is like sending charcoal in snowy weather for the current Pipi.
then.
Ze Shu also received a return gift.
Amidst the Pippi's excited expressions, they presented all the moonstones they carried with them—more than ten in total.
A prismatic moonstone with a bluish-purple luster.
It's beautiful, as black as the night sky, as if you could glimpse the mysteries of the universe through it.
The Moon Stone is probably the hardest evolution stone to obtain of all. After all, other stones can be bought anywhere, but this kind of evolution stone from space can only be obtained through luck.
And now... Ze Shu has more than a dozen.
He blurted out instinctively, "That's too much..."
"Pipi!"
But Zeshu hadn't finished speaking.
Another cloud of dust rolled down, startling the group of Pipi so much that they quickly stuffed the Moon Stone into Ze Shu's hand and hurriedly began their escape.
Ze Shu and Xiao Lan in the distance exchanged a glance.
Xiao Lan walked closer and took a look, then patted Ze Shu's shoulder to brush away the dust, and smiled as well:
"Investigator, this is a testament to your immense kindness towards Pokémon, and it's a testament to the Pokémon's sincere gratitude..."
Ze Shu also laughed and said, "It won't work on me."
"But it's quite useful for you, Xiao Lan."
Blue's Pokémon, whether it's Nidoran or Clefairy, all require a Moon Stone to evolve.
I got over a dozen at once, enough to evolve over a dozen Nidoqueens...
Taking the moonstone from Ze Shu, Little Blue jumped for joy and said with a grin:
"Thank you so much for the gift, Investigator!"
The Pipi Gang fleeing on the road was just a minor incident.
Ze Shu's purpose in this trip is still to save the buried Yu Long Du.
But in this Tsukimiyama, where the entire mountain is covered in soil and looks incredibly messy, finding someone who might be buried underground is like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, Ze Shu had already made plans.
While on his way, he contacted the Alliance to obtain a map of the underground tunnels of Mount Tsukimi and asked the Alliance's professional team to find a location where, if the tunnels collapsed, even the mighty Dragon Crossing could trap the intruders.
After listening to Ze Shu's suggestion, the Quartz Alliance realized the situation and acted quickly, marking Ze Shu's location, since it was the Uranus who had gone missing.
Ze Shu acted quickly, since Yanmo City was only one Silver Mountain away from Mount Tsukimi. His spaceship could barely cross that distance when it reached its highest point, and then after passing through the Quartz Alliance, he would arrive near Mount Tsukimi.
With spaceships, they are faster than many of the Alliance's large forces.
At full speed, it only took half a day.
That's why we were able to meet the Pipis who were fleeing just now.
His current goal is to carefully search for each of these marked locations, one by one.
That was what Zeki originally thought.
However, when he headed toward the first marker, he saw an unexpected person who made his pupils shrink slightly in surprise.
This man, who was bent over and emerged from the bushes on one side, looked travel-worn, but even in a black, formal suit, his robust physique and unique leadership qualities were still evident.
Upon seeing Ze Shu, a hint of surprise flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by kindness.
He spoke first: "Anyone still coming into Mt. Tsukimi now must be search and rescue personnel sent by the Alliance to find Wataru... Oh? Judging from your surprised expression, do you know me?"
know.:?
He'd rather not know them!
Ze Shu slightly twitched the corners of his mouth, his expression tense, revealing a suitable hint of surprise:
"Of course I know you! I've even read your 'The Mysteries of the Earth'!"
"But...Master Sakaki, why did you come here?"
After hearing what Sawaki said, Sakaki paused for a moment, then replied in a friendly manner:
"When the disaster struck, I was meditating in a nearby Diglett Burrow. You know, as a Ground-type Trainer..."
They often venture into various mountains and terrains, where they feel right at home.
"As it happens, the groundhog's burrow isn't far from here. As a member of the Alliance, upon hearing the news of King Ferry's misfortune, I naturally rushed here without delay..."
"But to be honest, I've been searching this place for a long time, and I still haven't found a single clue. It's a pity."
Finally, Sakaki let out a serious sigh.
But Zeki could only purse his lips, trying his best not to let Sakaki see that he wanted to laugh.
It would be a miracle if you could "find" any clues!
What is this? Cat crying over a mouse?
Perpetrators often return to the scene to see their "masterpiece"?
and.
Master Sakaki, your explanation is so detailed!
There's really no need to explain so much to an "unknown" member of the alliance!
Sawaki wore a thoughtful expression: "Is that so...? Even you, who are known as 'Sakaki of the Earth'...:"
Sakaki nodded, a hint of sighing on his face:
"Yes!"
"It seems the place I'm looking for isn't where the Heavenly King is buried... Time is of the essence, perhaps we shouldn't waste time here, let's hurry to other important locations on Mount Tsukimi."
"Otherwise, King Du..."
?
Look at Sakaki's sorrowful expression; his acting is so genuine, as if he were truly worried about Watanabe.
Ze Shu pursed his lips.
Otherwise, if we keep searching here, the Heavenly King will come back to life, right?
Upon seeing Sakaki here, Sawaki felt that Watari was definitely buried right under his feet, at least with a high probability!
Seeing Sakaki's sighing and anxious expression, and his urging:
"Let's go, let's search for the Heavenly King of Crossing elsewhere, time is of the essence."
Is Sakaki planning to supervise him...?
Ze Shu paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "No!"
He revealed a determined expression, took out a Poké Ball, and with a bang, a flash of white light appeared, and the dumbfounded Psyduck appeared beside him, clutching its head.
"My Psyduck told me that perhaps Elite Four member is buried here."
Psyduck tilts its head: "Quack?"
Sawaki wore a defiant expression: "Even though Gym Leader Giovanni can't find Lance, I believe in my Psyduck! I'll find Lance here with my Psyduck!"
Xiao Lan blinked beside her, maintaining a serious expression.
Giovanni stared slowly at the dazed Psyduck, then looked at Sawaki, who seemed like a clueless greenhorn in his eyes:
"Oh?"
This Psyduck...
Is it really that magical? Or is it just luck?
After a moment of silence, Giovanni suddenly smiled with relief. Looking at the weak Psyduck, he maintained his amiable expression and said:
"If you're sure, I wish you good luck. Maybe your Psyduck senses are right and it can dig out Lance."
but.
Given this Psyduck's pitiful abilities and digging efficiency, what it dug out was...:
It might be Watari's corpse!
Ze Shu smiled: "Thank you for your kind words, Master Sakagi!"
He also said auspiciously, "I believe in my Psyduck; it has amazing abilities. Not only for Elite Four member Lance, but perhaps even if you, Gym Leader Giovanni, are buried underground, even in your coffin, you can be found by my Psyduck!"
He maintained the confident demeanor of a naive youth, appearing straightforward and lacking any emotional intelligence, yet he spoke of wanting to dig up Sakaki's grave.
Sakaki twitched his lips, wanting to curse but unable to utter a word.
Sakaki is gone.
He walked away without any apparent worry, even with a certain decisiveness.
Xiao Lan looked at Ze Shu strangely, a question forming in her mind: "Ze...:"
Zeshu: "Shh!"
He held up a finger, then whispered in Little Blue's ear:
"Just dig, the crossing is down there."
Then he shouted, "Psyduck! Come on, stop covering your head, let's train our psychic powers, over here..."
Psyduck unleashed its psychic powers, and with Memrido yelling that he had a headache, a very shallow pit was dug into the ground with a whoosh.
Psyduck looked bewildered: "Quack?"
Sawaki noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sakaki turned around, smiled inwardly, and said, "Continue!"
Little Blue, her ears slightly red, took out her Blastoise: "I'll help too..."
Ze Shu shook his head: "No need."
Once Sakaki had completely gone far away, seemingly to the other side of Mount Tsukimi, he encountered the main force of the Alliance and had no time to attend to this place for the time being.
He then took out a... from his personal storage pouch.
Drilling rig!
"This is a state-of-the-art drilling rig that's always on standby at Quartz Alliance headquarters!"
Xiao Lan blinked and said, "So that's why you rushed to open the Quartz Alliance door back then, Ze Shu."
Ze Shu smiled: "Of course."
After all, neither his nor Xiaolan's Pokémon are as good at digging, so Psyduck might actually be a master.
As he secured the drilling rig to the shallow pit that Psyduck had dug with its psychic powers, Zeki suddenly frowned.
Even if we've determined that Du is roughly in this area, not knowing his exact burial location remains a challenge.
But that's alright.
Just keep digging. As long as Du isn't dead, he'll sense the movement in the rock strata and likely respond, for example...
The whooshing sound of Dragonite breaking through the rocks.
This was the sound Ze Shu faintly heard after digging for almost four hours and creating a hole about a hundred meters long.
No wonder Giovanni was so "at ease". If Psyduck were to dig, it might take three months of 24-hour digging and still not find anything.
It was completely quiet during that time, with only the sound of the drilling rig working.
Sakaki never returned, nor did he cause an "earthquake" that buried Sawaki as well—he had prepared contingency plans for this.
Of course, none of the Alliance members came here either, presumably swayed by Giovanni's words, and temporarily abandoned the area that Giovanni had searched.
While pondering, they dug towards the direction of the call from the ferry, and the drilling rig also made new progress.
The soil layer broke open.
The first thing to appear was Dragonite's limp, tired, and anxious chubby face: "Huff huff..."
Then came Lance, who was presented by Dragonite, looking disheveled and unconscious with his eyes closed.
His once straight, red spiky hair had all shrunk down, buried under the soil so that the red color was no longer visible; the cloak he regarded as his "true form" was also scattered and torn apart; his hands were still stained with blood, but were somewhat bandaged by the fragments of the cloak.
Compared to his show-off act at the Dead Leaf Lighthouse back then.
At this moment, however, he appeared much more like a wolf or a fox.
No wonder Sakaki left so decisively. In that state, if he had been an hour or two later, Watari might have died and been buried on the spot.
Seeing Watari's appearance, Sawaki's face showed sorrow, and then he said:
"You look really ugly, Wataru."
click!
While the drilling rig is still working.
He decisively took out his camera and recorded the wolf-fox crossing at that moment.
Hearing the familiar voice, Wataru barely opened his eyes and saw through the cracks that Sawaki had taken out his camera to take pictures of him. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
But for some reason, he felt a great sense of security.
He managed to squeeze out a voice: "Siluf..."
Ze Shu interrupted, "Don't rush."
"What time is it to still be talking about Shiruff and Dongluf? If you keep talking like that, you'll probably choke to death."
"Let's talk after I rescue you."
With such meticulous care, Ze Shu felt like he had become Watari's nanny.
They successfully dug out the grave of the ferryman.
Furthermore, it was discovered that there was another person with Watari "Riri".
Is he a Team Rocket minion?
The surface of Mount Tsukimi was being washed by Blastoise's bubbles. Wataru managed to catch his breath and said to Sawaki:
"This is the captain of a team from the Rockets."
"I caught him here, deep in the underground tunnels of Mount Tsukimi."
"This Team Rocket squad leader used to work for Lt. Surge, so he knows a lot of things, and I also got quite a bit out of him. But... before I could even come out of the ground, there was a sudden, violent tremor around me, and I was buried underneath too."
"And what I got in return was...:"
He took a breath and continued earnestly:
"Team Rocket is going to attack the Shilf Group!"
"No, it should be said that the Rockets' partnership with the Hilluff Group has broken down!"
The Shiruff Group.
It's a monopolistic group that spans the entire Guanzhong and Chengdu regions!
Their most glorious achievement was pioneering the technology for modern Poké Ball assembly line manufacturing. Almost all the cheap Poké Balls sold in "Friendly Shops" today are supplied and monopolized by the Silph Group.
They are also the developers of various Pokémon items and trainer equipment.
It can be said that it is an extremely large corporation in the entire Pokémon region.
And what Ze Shu knew:
The Silph Group is also the developer and manufacturer of the "Master Ball," a Pokémon ball boasting a 100% catch rate. Of course,
It is also the group that was controlled and taken over by Team Rocket in the game.
Ze Shu asked in confusion, "Has the cooperation broken down?"
Crossing (explanation):
"The Rockets have collaborated with the Silph Group, and it seems the Rockets are spying on something the Silph Group is researching."
"The Lt. Surge's rampant activities in Konoha, as well as his plasma rocket launchers and various electrical devices, were all technically supported by the Siluf Group."
"And you, Ze Shu... after capturing Lt. Surge, Team Rocket was worried that Lt. Surge's predicament would expose their research with the Silph Group. So they decided to go all out and strike first, directly targeting the Silph Group."
Du gave a wry smile:
"Unfortunately, I only found out about this after I came to Tsukimi-yama."
"And now, after dragging this out for so long, the Shiruff Group must have already...:::"
Towards the end, Du was out of breath and stopped talking, but his meaning was clear.
Ze Shu suddenly questioned, "So now, at least four or five days have passed since Mitsutsu was arrested, and your Kanto Alliance still hasn't found any connection between Mitsutsu and Silph. You can only find out by interrogating Team Rocket members here at Mount Tsukimi?"
"What a trash alliance."
His tone was somewhat speechless.
There's a reason why the Kanto region has been so thoroughly eroded by the Rockets.
The more the Rockets encroach on the league, the weaker it becomes, and the more control the Rockets have over the league, making the league even more ineffective. This creates a positive cycle for the Rockets.
After some hesitation, although he agreed with the viewpoint, he still offered a brief explanation:
"At least we found the trainers of those injured Pokémon on the lower deck of the Saint-Tiannu, on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean."
Ze Shu retracted his earlier, merciless assessment:
"Although it's a 'trash alliance,' it's still somewhat useful, but only to a certain extent."
Watari: ".—"
Golden City, Siluff Building.
From the outside, the Siluff Building appears remarkably calm, as always, a colossal structure standing tall in Goldenrod City, one of the landmarks that the people of Goldenrod City are proud of.
But looking at it from the inside...
It's already in complete chaos.
But order gradually emerged from this chaos.
Order controlled by the Rockets.
Inside the president's office.
Lambda chuckled sinisterly: "President Siluf... I advise you not to be ungrateful; our patience has its limits."
He held a coffee cup in one hand, sat regally in the main chair of the president's office, and looked at President Siluf, who was rolling on the floor, with a grin, and leisurely took a sip of his steaming coffee.
President Siluf took a breath: "I believe in the Alliance!"
Lambda spat out his coffee: "You still believe in the league now?"
He gave a disdainful smile and continued, "If you trust the alliance so much, why did you cooperate with us before?"
President Siluf murmured unconsciously, "I didn't know Mt. Surge was one of yours. Now that he's been exposed, I've realized..."
Lambda interrupted with a laugh, "You old bastard who's spouting nonsense!"
"Are you still trying to find excuses to distance yourself from us?"
"How much contraband did you supply to that Mt. Surge guy? How much heavy weaponry? I don't believe you can't guess who we are."
I'm so envious of that equipment... Hmph, but it's a pity that M. Surge got captured. I heard from the rumors that he was knocked out with an elbow strike?
"Hahaha, what a good-looking but useless piece of trash!"
"If I, Lambda, encountered someone like that, I'd definitely elbow him to the ground..."
Lambda chuckled.
Although he said that, he knew he was just joking.
Ma Zhishi's soldier-like physique was not weak; in fact, it was comparable to the robust physique of Hao Li. To be knocked down with a single elbow strike—that takes immense strength!
But now the Shlowe Group is completely under the control of the Rockets, and no information can be leaked out. The Rockets' moles within the league will also "control the narrative" to prevent normal league personnel from knowing about the Shlowe Group's changes.
To put it simply...
His plan was flawless!
He didn't even need to ask that woman, Sabrina, for help; Lord Lambda had it all taken care of!
"Speak..."
"Where did you hide that research data? Athena couldn't find it either."
"It was hidden really well."
"If you don't tell me, I'll break one of your fingers every minute. Remember, one finger. A hand has fifteen joints, so I can't break... wait, how many joints are in a hand? Never mind, you'll find out when your fingers are done."
President Shiruff looked desperate.
But he gritted his teeth and said hatefully:
"I won't tell."
"Take it or leave it!"
He truly regrets his decision to cooperate with the Rockets for a little profit and convenience, which has mired him in a quagmire ever since.
But he also knew that the foundation of their Silph Group was undoubtedly the Poké Ball assembly line manufacturing technology and the Poké Ball business monopolized through cooperation with the League.
If the League finds out about their collaboration with Team Rocket, the consequences will be that Poké Balls will be banned from sale in Friendly Stores, and if Poké Balls can't be sold, then there's no point in manufacturing them!
Then their Shiruff is completely destroyed!
This is the Siluf Group that he painstakingly built!
As long as the group can survive, what does it matter if he suffers a little?
Maybe I can win the league's forgiveness by enduring this little hardship... ::
What are the Rockets compared to the rest of the league?
They're nothing but rats in the gutter and dwarfs in the sewers!
If Team Rocket could infiltrate one Gym Leader, could they possibly infiltrate another? Even if they could infiltrate another one, could they infiltrate even more?
impossible!
No matter how strong Team Rocket is, can they compare to the League? Can they control friendly stores in various places and help their Silph Group sell Poké Balls?
No!
President Shiruff was absolutely certain.
The league will definitely save him, for example, recently with Natsumi...
Okay, even if she wasn't a Rockets spy, she couldn't possibly have come to the rescue.
President Shiruff was pondering this with unwavering resolve.
But suddenly I felt extreme pain in my fingers.
Accompanied by a "click".
President Shiruff stared wide-eyed.
Painful screams continued to emanate.
On the outskirts of Golden City.
"Dodo, what are you doing here, half-dead? I'll take care of it."
"I am the Dragon King of Kanto."
"Good, good... The Dragon-type Elite Four member buried underground."
Looking out at the quiet Hillough Building.
Du pursed his chapped lips and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
Ze Shu smiled and said, "Of course, the higher the efficiency, the better."
He attaches great importance to this Hilluff Building project.
The Rockets want to use the Master Ball developed by the Shiluff Group in order to control Mewtwo.
We can't let the Rockets get away with this, and...
If he gets his hands on the "Master Ball," he'll have a primary "countermeasure" against the Rockets' future development of Mewtwo, which aims to conquer the world—as long as he can find an opportunity to throw the ball.
At worst, Mewtwo going berserk could lock it inside a ball and give it a life sentence.
"Let's go, Dodo, if you insist on following."
"I am not a dodo bird!"
President Shiruff's office.
"Phew..." Lambda wiped the sweat from his face. "You old codger, you may spout a lot of nonsense, but you're pretty resilient to pain."
In that respect, I admire you.
He was even considering whether or not to bring Natsume over.
After all, Sabrina's superpowers, whether hypnotizing or interrogating, are very effective.
"This matter is indeed urgent..." Lambda's thoughts gradually cleared, and he thought to himself, "I really need to call that woman, Natsumi, over."
President Siluf lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily: "Ha...::"
It's only twenty-eight fingers.
Now that everything is cut off, the other party has nothing left, and he can take a break.
He was secretly relieved.
But after Darram put down the communication device, he took out a Poké Ball:
"Hmph! Slowpoke, use Healing Pulse to heal this old geezer, then we'll try again!"
"We can't stop before that woman arrives. I refuse to believe my interrogation skills are lacking!"