Elf: Who told him to be an investigator!

Chapter 357 The Ultimate Dark Pokémon

Wow!

A ladle of cold water was poured over me, and a chilling sensation instantly enveloped my entire body.

Alina let out a terrified scream and suddenly opened her eyes, which were half-applied with smoky makeup and looked somewhat like a ghost.

"Are you awake?" Ze Shu looked at her.

"I...I..." Alina's eyes were dazed, but the moment she saw Ze Shu, she panicked. "What do you want to do to me?!"

Ze Shu looked at the Dark Lugia standing to the side and asked her, "I heard that... you were the one who led the research on the Dark Lugia? You're also a researcher in the Shadows?"

Alina, of course, didn't want to answer: "Uh..."

Seeing this, Xiao Lan grinned and pulled out a tablet, which displayed a picture.

"Look at this."

That was the scene inside the "Dark Pokémon Laboratory," which Alina recognized at a glance. On the ground of the laboratory, Professor Borg lay charred black, his body twitching, unconscious—a truly pitiful sight.

Upon seeing this horrific scene, Alina's eyes widened in shock, filled with terror: "What is this?!"

Ze Shu said expressionlessly, "You recognize this person in the picture, right?"

Alina swallowed hard before replying, "Although this state doesn't... doesn't resemble him anymore, I recognize him. He is... Lord Borg..."

'

Ze Shu: "What's your relationship with him?"

Alina said in a trembling voice, "Yes... she was kind of my teacher."

"So you see?" Ze Shu smiled. He saw the panic in Alina's eyes. This woman's will wasn't that strong. "If you're unwilling to submit, if you don't answer our questions, or if your answers don't satisfy us, this is what happens."

"No, no!" Alina's slender body trembled with fear. "I'll answer, I'll definitely answer! Ask me, just ask me! I'll make sure you're satisfied!"

She then remembered the question Ze Shu had asked her earlier that she didn't want to answer, and quickly tried to salvage the situation by replying, "I'm a researcher. This Dark Lugia was initially researched by Lord Borg and me, but Lord Borg is no longer in charge of the project, and it's now entirely under my, Alina's, responsibility!"

Ze Shu nodded, pointed to the Dark Lugia standing like a sculpture, and asked, "It's a little different from the other Dark Pokémon I've seen. Can you tell me why?"

"I...can! Of course I can!"

"Its codename is XD0001," which is eXtraDark, the ultimate dark Pokémon. It is the core experimental subject of our "XD Project," and the only one.

Alina stared at the dark Lugia.

At the same time, she also saw the little Lugia next to Ze Shu. Their almost identical appearance made her pupils shrink, but her survival instinct prevented her from asking any more questions. While concentrating on Ze Shu's problem, she also fell into memories.

"Our leader in the Shadow Organization has always wanted to use the technology of 'Dark Pokémon' to rule the world and make Ori and Shadow great again."

"But since the technology of Dark Pokémon was invented, we have never created a truly powerful Dark Pokémon that can be invincible."

Until...

'

"Its arrival."

"It is said that it appeared in the sea between the Ore region and our Nickel Island. Perhaps finding the volcanic landscape of Nickel Island too hot, it brought a three-day-long downpour with just a flap of its wings..."

"At that time, the entire Nickel Island was filled with a... cool and refreshing atmosphere."

At this point, Alina looked pleased.

Ze Shu suddenly asked, "So, you Shadows have your eyes on it?"

"Yes, yes." Alina realized what was happening and quickly replied, "We devised a near-perfect capture plan for it and successfully captured it! We only found out later that it was a legendary Pokémon from another region—named Lugia."

"We also used the same modification technology for Dark Pokémon to transform it into a Dark Pokémon..."

"But I don't know why."

"The modification was successful, and Lord Borg and I were overjoyed. It should have obeyed our commands without reservation like other Dark Pokémon... But, not long after, it defected."

"We still don't know exactly why it defected, we only know that it had a great obsession at the time."

Lugia's mother wanted to have a child and give birth to baby Lugia.

Ze Shu understood immediately.

Little Lugia, who had been told some of what had happened by Ze Shu, also came to her senses and let out a whimper.

Ignoring the sobs, Alina continued, "Because of its defection, the boss was furious. We in the Shadows paid a heavy price and spent a lot of money to create tracking devices that can track its dark aura, ensuring that no matter where it runs, we can know its location!"

"Also because of this device."

"We caught it about two weeks after it defected."

"We don't know what happened to it after it left. When we caught it, it was extremely weak, having lost most of its strength. But because of this, it became... extremely easy to control."

"Taking this opportunity, Lord Borg and I further improved it! It has become our most perfect creation! The ultimate dark Pokémon that can never be purified!"

At this point, Alina's eyes gleamed with the fervor unique to researchers, and she eagerly told Zeki, "You know, even though Dark Pokémon have been created, there's still a risk of them being purified! But this one is different; it can't be purified! It's the ultimate! It can only ever be controlled by us, the Shadows!"

Zeshu asked, "Is there really no possibility of purification?"

"No! How could that be! Absolutely impossible!" Alina said firmly, issuing three consecutive denials. "It's perfect!"

Ze Shu then asked, "So, where does it hold control now? In your hands?"

After all, Alina had just said she was going to release this dark Pokémon.

"Of course not!" Alina said matter-of-factly. "Such an ultimate weapon is naturally in the boss's hands!"

I simply have the power to release it voluntarily!

Ze Shu asked again, "Who is your boss? What's his name?"

Alina hesitated, "Our leader is called Xie Yan..."

,"roar!!"

She was speaking when suddenly, Raigong leaped out from the waist of Zeshu, baring his saber teeth, and roared at the dark Lugia standing in the center, his body crackling with electricity.

The flash of lightning reminded Alina of the horrific state of Borg that Little Blue had shown her earlier.

"Ah! I'm not lying anymore!" she cried out in alarm, her body trembling. "Our leader's name is Erya, not Lord Xieyan!"

Actually, Ze Shu didn't recognize either of these names.

Ze Shu looked back at the strange-looking Lei Gong and pondered in silence.

Alina hesitated, glancing nervously at Lei Gong before asking anxiously, "I've answered all your questions earnestly, so could you... let me go...?"

They even wanted to release her; that's really pushing their luck.

It's already merciful that you're not electrocuted like a freak by the Thunder God.

Little Blue sighed and exclaimed, "Crawling Wings!"

"Buzz!" The creeper wing, which was gnawing on the big steamed bun that Little Blue brought, responded and raised its strong, furry forelimbs, slapping them out.

Alina was hit on the back of the head, let out a hurried "Ah!" and then fainted again.

"Lei Gong, what's wrong?" Ze Shu asked.

"Roar!" Raikou just stared intently at Dark Lugia.

It didn't know why, it just sensed a dangerous aura.

"Dark Lugia is in the hands of the Shadow Boss, huh? Looks like we're in trouble." Seeing that Raikou and Dark Lugia weren't moving, Ze Shu frowned, stroking the slightly dejected Lugia nestled in his arms. "So, what's next..."

But he hadn't finished speaking.

Suddenly.

"The ground is shaking, why is that?!" Higana shouted.

"It's Lugia!" Zeju suddenly turned to the dark Lugia that Raiji was staring at, as if he had sensed something. "It seems... to be awakening. But it's not doing it on its own!"

As the restraints binding Dark Lugia were being systematically and orderly removed, a steel gate at the very top opened with a hum, providing Dark Lugia with a passageway to fly out.

Lugia has not yet awakened.

Before everyone's eyes, Dark Lugia stirred; its bright red eyes were fully open, and its body emitted a faint dark glow.

But when Little Lugia mustered the courage to fly in front of it, it didn't elicit any other reaction; Dark Lugia didn't even blink.

"Ugh..." Little Lugia seemed to have some disbelief in her eyes.

"It looks like someone is summoning it!" Little Blue saw this and seemed to realize something, looking at the unconscious Alina, "It's... that boss she was talking about earlier!"

She ran to the technology screen at Dark Lugia's feet, glanced at it, and said quickly, "Because of our arrival, Alina failed to awaken Dark Lugia, so the boss probably got impatient and is remotely forcibly performing the awakening procedure. But because Alina failed, Dark Lugia hasn't started yet, and awakening will take more time."

"I can try to manipulate the machine to wake it up a little slower!"

"Ze Shu, go to the ground and check the situation, see if you can..."

'

Before Xiao Lan could finish speaking, Ze Shu already knew what she meant. Without hesitation, he nodded and left through the passage he had come from: "Lei Gong is here, help Xiao Lan. Xi Jiana, you... come with me."

"Okay!"

Higana quickly followed Zeshu and ran out.

As soon as he stepped out of the underground base that bound the Dark Lugia and onto the surface of Nickel Dark Island, Ze Shu felt that the environment here was different from what he had just experienced.

Aside from the fact that the fight between Team Rocket and the Shadow Organization's minions had reached its end, they seemed exhausted and had no strength left to fight, so they collapsed to the ground.

The ground tremors felt from the base below were still present, and faint black whirlwinds rose in the air, accompanied by a light drizzle. These phenomena alleviated some of the heat of Nickel Dark Island.

"Oh?"

The moment Ze Shu stepped out, two figures appeared to his side... no, there were two.

A strong man was holding another unconscious person in his arms as if he were a corpse.

"I didn't expect to run into you here, Investigator." The man opposite him, slightly surprised to see Ze Shu, spoke up.

He said, "It seems the disappearance of those people in Lance was caused by you."

"I didn't expect to run into you here either, Giovanni from Team Rocket." Sawaki shifted his gaze to the unconscious person Giovanni was holding. "And this one? Who is this?"

The man looked quite stylish, with a purple bodysuit that revealed his muscular abs, black lips, and alluring white hair. But unfortunately, he was now being held in Sakaki's hand like a tattered rag.

"Him?" Sakaki scoffed, tossing the man to the ground in front of Sawaki. The man rolled a few times, kicking up clumps of black dirt. "He calls himself the commander of the Shadows, named Evil Disgust. Investigator, this is a reward for your service."

"Oh? You're such a nice person?" Ze Shu chuckled.

"He's no longer of any use to me," Giovanni said calmly. "I'm giving him to you, not asking you to release our Team Rocket members, but just hoping you can treat them a little better."

The Rockets' leader is actually quite good to his teammates.

"I accept it." Ze Shu nodded.

"Then I'll take my leave." Sakaki nodded and turned to leave.

"!" Higanbana, who was following behind, exclaimed in shock, "Zeki, you're just letting this villain go?! He might be the culprit who awakened Dark Lugia!"

Sakaki paused, his back still. "I did take something from Shadow, but it wasn't the Dark Lugia you mentioned."

Higana puffed out her cheeks: "Guess whether I believe you or not!"

At that moment, the sound of a "buzzing" propeller suddenly appeared in the sky, and air gusts were stirred up on the ground. A black helicopter with a red "X" engraved on it landed in the center of them.

The helicopter door opened, and a fat, middle-aged man with a fierce look stepped out.

"Huh!" Higana exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. "It's you! That fat mayor!"

This man was none other than Mayor Barclay, who had been thrown into the underground city of Silur.

Ignoring Higana's words, Barclay immediately spotted Zeki next to her, his face instantly contorting with extreme resentment. "It's you! You really are the culprit who ruined my Shadow!"

"Your shadow?" Ze Shu asked in surprise.

"Yes, my Shadow..." Barclay's resentment seemed to emanate from him, "I am the true leader of the Shadow, named Uh!"

Higana was shocked: "Huh?! You're the leader of Shadow?!"

She really hadn't thought of that.

"I was so tired of pretending underground in Silicon Beryllium City. I wanted nothing more than to tear you all to pieces!" Er Ya said menacingly, but then, looking at the dark vortex gathering in the sky, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. "But, this is not the end yet."

"Hehehehehehe!!"

"Let me show you... the ultimate dark Pokémon that I painstakingly planned!"

It seems that this "Er" is the Shadow Boss who just awakened Dark Lugia.

Higana quickly asked Ze Shu, "What should we do!"

Er arrogantly interrupted, "You have no way to escape your fate of being torn to pieces! Unless... you kneel down and beg me, maybe I can..."

"Aren't you mistaken about something?" Ze Shu suddenly said.

Annoyed at being interrupted, Er asked, "What?!"

"Dark Lugia hasn't even been summoned yet, and you're already acting so arrogantly in front of us. Who taught you to do this?" Ze Shu said with a half-smile.

Then he threw a Poké Ball, and the Dark Pokémon Suicune appeared in front of him.

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Water Lord, go ahead and beat this so-called leader of the Shadow Organization who's been relentlessly exploiting you to death."