Let you make a game, what the hell is Pokemon?.

Chapter 206 Lower City District, Complete Blockade, Mysterious Communications?

As the three shady-looking youths directed their mechanically modified Pokémon to surround him, the shadow of Gengar beneath Ling Feng's feet rippled even more noticeably.

"Don't come out."

Ling Feng's lips moved slightly, his voice extremely low, almost audible only to himself. But he knew that Gengar, hidden in his shadow, would definitely receive his message.

The shadow's fluctuations paused for a moment, and Gengar was honestly quite bewildered.

—You fucking brought me out here just so I could help you fight in a situation like this?
Now that they've bullied us so much, why can't we fight back?
It was even a little depressed.

Well, if you get beaten up later, don't blame me for not helping you.

In the shadows, Gengar crossed its legs, ready to watch the show.

At the same time, the fluorescent green-haired youth saw that Ling Feng was not only not intimidated, but was standing there in a daze, muttering something that was hard to understand. He immediately felt that he had lost face.

He spat out the toothpick from his mouth, waved his hand fiercely, and cursed, "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! Electrode, ram him! Magnemite, use Electric Shock! Electivire, use Electric Ball!"

At a command, the Voltorb, equipped with metal armor and flashing an unstable red light, immediately rolled towards Ling Feng like a cannonball. Magnemite trembled twice, and two thin currents crackled as they shot towards Ling Feng. The Electivire carrying a battery pack also spat out a ball of golden electricity.

Faced with this attack, which wasn't particularly fierce, Ling Feng didn't even consider dodging. He wanted to take this opportunity to test just how resilient his enhanced body was against attacks from ordinary Pokémon in this world.

boom!
The mischievous lightning bolt struck Ling Feng's calf with a dull thud. Ling Feng only felt a slight vibration in his calf, like being hit by an inflated ball, without feeling any pain whatsoever.

The mischievous lightning bolt was instead bounced far away by the reaction force, spinning wildly on the ground, seemingly a little dizzy.

zizi——

The Magnemite's electric shock struck Ling Feng's arm and chest, only causing a slight tingling sensation in the skin without leaving a red mark; the current vanished as if it had disappeared into thin air.

As for the ball of electricity, after it struck Ling Feng, he casually ripped it away, and the current disappeared instantly, posing no threat whatsoever.

"Wha...what?"

"This is impossible!"

"What the hell?!"

The three thugs' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, their arrogance instantly replaced by shock.

The Pokémon attacks that enabled them to run rampant in the lower city had absolutely no effect on this seemingly mild-mannered young man.

This was completely beyond their comprehension. Even the elite trainers in the upper city wouldn't dare to directly take a Pokémon's attack head-on!

Meanwhile, Gengar, who was watching the show from the shadows, was also dumbfounded.

My grass?

Dude, these Pokémon are pretty weak, right?
What's with your raw eating skill?
What have you been doing behind my back this time?
At the same time, Ling Feng patted the spot where the electric ball had touched him, becoming even more certain of his judgment.

As expected, these Pokémon were very weak, probably only slightly stronger than the starter Pokémon that a novice trainer had just received.

Perhaps their energy is used more for mechanical modifications rather than for enhancing combat abilities, or perhaps this is just the basic strength of Pokémon in this world.

An attack of this magnitude wouldn't even scratch an itch, let alone break through their defenses.

He stepped forward, wanting to take this opportunity to ask these local bullies what this place was, why it was so dilapidated, and whether they had seen any special people or things.

He had just opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, the three thugs let out a shrill scream, as if they had seen something extremely terrifying.

"Monster! Damn it, there's a monster!"

"Help!"

They frantically collected their Pokémon and scrambled out of the alley without looking back, moving at an alarming speed, disappearing into the intricate slum buildings in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few wisps of dust behind.

Ling Feng looked in the direction they disappeared, shook his head helplessly, and swallowed the question that was on the tip of his tongue.

Okay, put yourself in their shoes. If you saw someone who could withstand a Pokémon move without getting hurt, you'd probably run away faster than they did.

You can't really blame them for being timid.
Well, since I can't get directions, I guess I'll just have to keep exploring on my own.

First, I need to figure out what this so-called "lower city" is all about, and why I was teleported to this place.

He walked out of the dirty, narrow alley, his eyes scanning the low, crooked metal houses and concrete buildings on both sides, trying to find some useful information or signs.

The unpleasant odors in the air and the dilapidated scene gave him a more direct understanding of another side of this world.

This place is like a completely different world from the bustling, technologically advanced metropolis he saw during his first time travel.

As he walked forward, deep in thought, something in the corner of his vision caught his attention.
It was a very old-looking piece of equipment leaning against a rusty pipe, its casing covered with scratches and stains, but its general outline made Ling Feng feel somewhat familiar.

He walked closer and took a closer look, and couldn't help but be stunned.

This is actually an old public communication booth?
Although the model was much more outdated than the one he used the first time he came, looking worn and dilapidated, and the screen was covered with cracks, the basic structure and the design with the dial pad and screen were clearly the same thing.

Is this thing even usable in a place like this?

With a try-it-and-see attitude, Ling Feng stepped into the dilapidated communication booth, which could barely keep out the rain. The interior was cramped and filled with the smell of rust and dust. He reached out and wiped the grime-covered screen, and surprisingly, it flickered a few times and then lit up faintly, displaying a blurry interface.

An identity verification prompt appeared on the screen. Ling Feng thought for a moment, then tried to silently recite "system" in his mind, just like last time, hoping to use the permissions granted to him by the doctor before.

Sure enough, after the detection cursor scanned him, a message popped up: "Special anonymous access privileges detected, high privilege level. You may use this communication facility for free."

It seems that the temporary identity granted by the system is still valid on this underlying device.
Ling Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief. He recalled the contact number of the doctor he had contacted after his first time travel, and with his enhanced memory, he accurately pressed the string of numbers on the old-fashioned dial pad.

After a burst of static, the screen flickered, and then a slightly tired but familiar face appeared on the screen—it was the doctor. He adjusted his glasses, and when he saw Ling Feng, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Huh? It's you! Long time no see! What are you doing here..." The professor stopped mid-sentence, seemingly noticing the location information detected by Ling Feng's communication booth, and his brows immediately furrowed. "Wait, your location... how did it end up in the lower city? That's a million miles away from my research institute!"

"Lower city district?" Ling Feng immediately caught the key word.

“Yes,” the doctor nodded, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness and explanation, “It’s the place you’re in now. How should I put it, it’s a corner in the shadow of this glamorous city.”

"It's mainly an area where people with poor economic conditions and lack of resources live together. The infrastructure is old, the management is relatively chaotic, and the security situation... well, you should have already experienced that by now, right? In short, that place is not very safe."

The doctor paused, a concerned look on his face. "Do you need me to send a shuttle airship to pick you up? Although the procedures are a bit complicated, it shouldn't be a problem to apply for it. It's much safer than you wandering around there alone."

Ling Feng shook his head, declining the doctor's offer. "Thank you, Doctor, but there's no need to trouble yourself. I can handle it myself." He knew the doctor meant well, but Ling Feng had full confidence in his own abilities.

With his current Pokémon-like physique, plus the Gengar hiding in the shadows, in this world where the level of technology is high but individual combat strength seems to be generally not strong—at least judging from those three thugs just now—there are probably not many people or things that can really make things difficult for him.

Moreover, his main purpose in traveling here this time was to investigate the situation in this world, especially to figure out why the emotional points brought by the dark phantom suddenly stopped.

This seemingly chaotic lower city might actually provide some clues that are inaccessible in the upper world.

Oh, right, games!
Ling Feng suddenly remembered his important business.

He quickly asked the doctor, "Doctor, I almost forgot to ask. How's the release of that game I released before, Dark Phantom, going in this world? Is there something wrong with it?"

The PhD student on the other end of the screen visibly paused, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Uh... well. To be honest, after you mentioned it last time, I was too busy with my project, so I... forgot to check it out. I thought you were just saying it casually, I didn't expect you to actually publish it?"

When she realized that Ling Feng was actually serious, she immediately assured him, "How about this, wait for me a moment. After I finish this work, I'll go and check on the details for you right away, okay?"

Ling Feng nodded, somewhat helpless but understanding of the doctor's reaction.

After all, for a PhD student focused on a major project like Genesis Engine, a game that suddenly appears might not be that important.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Doctor. In that case, I'll take a look around this area and see what the downtown area is like."

After ending his call with the doctor, Ling Feng prepared to leave the cramped communication booth and continue his exploration.

However, just as he turned around and before he could take a step, the old screen behind him suddenly lit up again and emitted a rapid notification sound, indicating that a private communication request had come in from his communication booth.

Ling Feng paused, a mixture of curiosity and wariness rising in his heart.

Since his last arrival in this world, he hasn't had any contact with anyone except the doctor he just contacted, so who could be making this sudden phone call?

Could it be the official personnel the doctor just mentioned, who tracked me down because I used the communication network?

He hesitated for a moment, then turned around and pressed the answer button.

There was no image of the other person on the screen, only complete darkness. Even the voice had been obviously altered, sounding low and hoarse, making it impossible to discern the original tone.

"You... are the one who released the game 'Black and White', right?" the mysterious voice asked bluntly.

Ling Feng raised an eyebrow slightly, neither immediately admitting nor denying, but instead asking, "Who are you?"

The other party seemed unfazed by Ling Feng's wariness and continued in that eerie tone, "Who I am is unimportant. What's important is, do you know that your game has been officially banned by the League and completely shut down?"

"The higher-ups are using resources to track down your whereabouts and identity. You actually dare to connect to public communication networks, you've got some nerve. Aren't you afraid your signal will be locked and someone will come knocking on your door soon?"

Ling Feng was stunned upon hearing this. The game was banned? He had previously guessed that it might be a server issue or a drop in popularity, but he didn't expect it to be a direct ban?

He was a little confused. "I just released a game, and the content is all fictional. Why would it be banned?"

"The point isn't the game itself, but what you mentioned in the game..." The mysterious voice paused, seemingly hesitant, "...Never mind, some things aren't convenient to discuss in detail on public communication channels. I see your signal location is in the lower city area, right?"

A line of address information suddenly appeared on the screen, resembling specific coordinates or a shop name. Ling Feng quickly memorized it. The address pointed to a bar called Rusty Propeller.

The mysterious voice concluded, “If you trust me, or want to find out what really happened, go to this address and find a man called Old Smoker. He’s one of the best-informed intelligence brokers there, and he might be able to tell you something… that can’t be found out openly. Remember, be careful.”

The call was abruptly cut off as soon as the words were spoken, and the screen returned to standby mode, as if nothing had happened.

Ling Feng stood still, processing this sudden piece of information.

The game was banned... because of its content?
The dark and mysterious story involves nothing more than legends and myths from the Pokémon world, as well as the ambitions of villainous organizations.

Could it be that some settings about legendary Pokémon, or information about organizations like Team Plasma, have touched upon some taboo in this world?
And who is this mysterious person? How does he know about my affairs?
Why should I help myself?
A series of questions swirled in Ling Feng's mind. But he knew one thing: staying put and overthinking was pointless. The information the doctor had found was probably just official news.

The old smoker mentioned by the other party might actually provide some clues that are hidden in the shadows and closer to the truth.

It seems this trip to the lower city district is destined to be a deeper dive.
(End of this chapter)