Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 319 Crimson Sun: The Creator God... Arceus...

"Hahaha! That's great!"

Before Crimson Flame Pine could answer his question, Water Wutong suddenly burst into wild laughter again.

"When we find Groudon and Kyogre, we'll use their power to reshape the world's ecosystem!"

"Then the expansion of the oceans and the regeneration of new land will no longer be a problem! Hahahaha!"

Suddenly lifted up, with his feet slightly off the ground, Chi Yansong was speechless.

A vein throbbed on his forehead as he forcefully slapped away Shui Wutong's hand, then awkwardly straightened his wrinkled collar and tie.

You're oversimplifying things!

"Right now, we only have a lead! Their attitude, their willingness to cooperate, and the reliability of the lead are all still unknown!"

"The target is that man on the screen—Shirazumi, a PhD in mythology and also the trainer of the legendary Pokémon Zygarde!"

"I called you here just to let you know, to prepare you mentally, so you don't just drift aimlessly at sea all day!"

After he finished speaking, he was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would lose his temper and fight with this barbarian.

He simply turned around and walked to his personal workstation, with his back to Shui Wutong, and began to pretend to organize documents, issuing an order to leave.

"Intelligence sharing complete. You can go back and continue your grand plan."

Shui Wutong didn't care about Chi Yansong's attitude and plopped down on the main sofa where Chi Yansong had just been sitting.

He picked up the remote and replayed the two videos on the screen, especially the one where White Boat commanded Zygarde to traverse the sea; he watched it repeatedly.

A moment later, the video ended.

"hiss-

—"

Shui Wutong stroked the rough stubble on his chin, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

"This guy named Zygarde—he's interesting. He can slice the sea like a cake—"

"Is this the power of legendary Pokémon? No wonder even that kid Red had to give way—"

His gaze hardened, and he murmured softly.

"Kyogre, the god of the sea!"

After fumbling around for a while, he seemed to have made up his mind, and suddenly pulled out his specially made waterproof and shockproof phone, quickly flipping through his contacts.

The finger finally stopped on a contact number labeled "A-Quan," whose profile picture was of a capable woman with long black hair.

After a few rings, the call was connected.

"Hey! Quan! Yes! It's me, Shui Wutong!"

He resumed his carefree tone, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a hint of seriousness that was different from before.

"Oh! It's nothing particularly important! It's just that you know Dr. Shiraishu, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's that PhD who's all the rage lately, the one who's amazing at mythology! That's right, it's him!"

"Aren't you one of the top marine scientists in our organization? I figured you researchers would have a lot in common to talk about—"

Shui Wutong's voice carried a hint of persuasion.

"Um—why don't you try to find an opportunity to get in touch with him? Maybe exchange academic ideas or something—"

He paused slightly, lowered his voice, and his tone became serious.

"According to reliable intelligence—he might be able to help us find the true god who controls the seas—Kyogre."

Sinnoh region.

Tianguan Mountain, the temporary base of the Milky Way Archaeological Team.

Inside the dimly lit main tent, the only light source was a few flickering oil lamps, which cast distorted and swaying shadows of the people inside.

A slightly thin man was staring indifferently at a video playing on a tablet computer in his hand.

His name is Chi Ri.

He had short, dark blue hair combed back, a angular face, and gray eyes that held an unyielding, ancient coldness.

Empty and lifeless, it reflects no light or emotion whatsoever.

As the video finished playing, it finally froze on the white figure of Arceus, standing at the beginning of chaos, holy and majestic, radiating the power of creation.

Even through the screen, that sacred and inviolable aura seemed to overflow.

After a long while, his lips moved slightly.

"The creator god—Arceus—"

He is the head of the Galactic Archaeology Team and also a renowned and successful entrepreneur with a large business empire in the Sinnoh region.

At this moment, he is leading this elite archaeological team, stationed in the area near the top of Tianguan Mountain.

They are thoroughly investigating the legendary "Pillar of Spears" ruins, aiming to pinpoint the most fundamental mystery of the Sinnoh region—the origin of the world.

The archaeological excavation, document deciphering, and symbol comparison lasted for half a month without sleep.

From the broken stone tablets and obscure ancient poems, they managed to piece together a rough outline of a legend about "gods creating the world".

Vague and full of doubts.

Just as they were about to complete their preliminary investigation and were about to touch the edge of that elusive "truth".

Then----

Then, late last night, his subordinate in charge of intelligence gathering presented him with the link to the video that had been quietly circulating online.

"The Creation of Arceus (Live Stream Replay Clips)"

The story they painstakingly pieced together, requiring countless resources and effort, was revealed to the public in a casual and easy manner by others.

Moreover, the content was several times more detailed than what they knew, and it also seemed several times more "real".

It was as if all their efforts and hardships over the past two weeks had become a trivial joke.

"Dr. Shirafuru————"

Chi Ri slowly uttered the name, his voice revealing neither anger nor frustration, only an almost absolutely rational statement.

"You really did give me a really big gift."

He didn't actually experience any "unnecessary" emotions such as jealousy or resentment.

In his heart, which pursued absolute rationality and perfect order, this was only proven to be a "good thing".

At least, for the first time, the scattered information he had been collecting and speculating about for a long time received such systematic indirect confirmation.

"Human nature, desires, strife, imperfection—this world, created by an imperfect creator, is full of imperfections and flaws—"

He put down the tablet, raised his head slightly, and his gaze swept over the four figures standing silently in the shadows of the tent.

A pretty red-haired girl, a charming purple-haired mature woman, a cool blue-haired young man, and an old man with unfathomable eyes.

"Horse Star, Jupiter, Saturn, and Hades."

"exist!"

The four responded in unison, their posture respectful.

Their heads were slightly lowered, and no one dared to look directly into the blazing sun.

"The archaeological team's expedition is temporarily suspended."

Chi Ri's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable decisiveness.

"I'm shifting all my focus back to the major companies we control in the Sinnoh region. I need them to operate more efficiently and have more cash flow."

He paused, then gave more specific orders.

"First, contact The Pokémon Company. Utilize all business means and connections. I need you to infiltrate our ranks at every level we can reach as quickly as possible."

"Infiltrate them and obtain firsthand intelligence about their core technologies, especially their research direction regarding legendary Pokémon."

"Secondly, prepare an invitation letter—one that is sufficiently sincere—in the name of the Galactic Archaeological Team and all the companies under my name."

"I want to contact the esteemed Dr. Shiraishu to express our deepest admiration and desire for cooperation. I wish to meet him in person."

His lips twitched very slightly, which could perhaps be called the beginnings of a "smile".

"Let's talk about—the current state of the world, and—its deserved future."

The order was given, and a tense atmosphere filled the tent.

Just as the four were about to accept their orders and leave, Zhenxing, with his short blue hair, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Boss, please forgive my bluntness."

His voice remained respectful, but his pace was slightly fast, revealing a hint of impatience.

"That white boat is of paramount importance to our plan to explore the new world, without a doubt."

"But he was ultimately just a 'researcher.'"

"Could we consider some more direct and efficient methods? For example—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Chi Ri didn't even make any obvious movement; his gray pupils simply shifted very slightly.

A chill instantly gripped Zhenxing!

Cold sweat soaked his back almost instantly, his throat tightened, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

He instinctively knelt on one knee and lowered his head.

"I'm so sorry—I was too talkative—please forgive me!"

Chi Ri did not speak immediately; the only sound inside the tent was the faint crackling of the burning wick.

"What do you think—"

After a moment, Chi Ri finally spoke again, his voice still calm and even.

What is the fundamental difference between a smart person and a foolish person?

He didn't need to answer, and continued in a statement-of-fact tone: "It's very simple, it's just a matter of how much information one has and how well one processes it."

His gaze swept over Zhenxing, who was kneeling on the ground, and also over the other three cadres.

"So, what do you think—"

He drew out his words slightly.

"A 'prophet' who possesses information that most scholars in the world, and even seekers like us, cannot obtain —"

"Will he be a clueless, easily manipulated idiot?"

The tent was deathly silent, with only the suppressed breathing of a few people.

Akari seemed satisfied with this brief "teaching session," or rather, he didn't care at all about his subordinates' reactions.

He waved casually.

"Go down and do as I say."

The four men maintained the utmost respect as they slowly withdrew from the tent one by one, not daring to make a single unnecessary sound.

Just as Zhenxing was walking at the very back, his fingers were about to touch the tent flap.

"Wait a moment----"

The faint voice of the blazing sun drifted over.

Zhenxing froze, his heart leaped into his throat, and cold sweat broke out uncontrollably once again.

He remained in the position of lifting the curtain, not daring to move an inch.

Send me a Pokédex, and also bring me Pokémon game cartridges.

"Yes! I'll take care of it immediately!"

Zhenxing answered forcefully, his voice slightly distorted.

Only after completely leaving the main tent and feeling the biting cold wind of Tianguan Mountain outside did he finally exhale a long breath that he had been holding for a long time, feeling completely exhausted.

"Boss—it really is—"

He murmured to himself, shook his head, and suppressed the lingering fear in his heart.

He glanced at the other three waiting outside, quickly reverting to his usual cold and arrogant demeanor.

"Huoxing, Suixing, I'm entrusting you with the adjustment and penetration plan on the corporate side."

"Pluto and I will make preparations and immediately set off for the Johto region to pay a visit to" the person the boss had mentioned—"the clever man."

The purple-haired Jupiter gracefully brushed the snowflakes that had fallen on her shoulders, smiled charmingly upon hearing this, and her eyes sparkled.

"Oh? I think it's better to leave things like dealing with important people to someone who's more skilled at it."

"The company's operations have always been led by you and Pluto, so a sudden change of leadership would not be a good thing."

"How about... Huoxing and I go to the capital to visit Dr. Baizhou?"

Zhenxing's eyes turned cold, and his tone became indifferent.

"What? You think you can do better than me?"

No~

The red-haired star twirled his fiery, ear-length hair with his fingers, his tone playful and smug.

"It's precisely because we might not be doing it 'that's more suitable."

"After all, a head-on collision will only make things worse. Sometimes, soft threads can restrain the prey better than hard swords."

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Hades, who had been watching with a smile, tried to smooth things over by shrugging.

"Oh dear, since these two beautiful ladies are so determined, Zhenxing, let them give it a try."

"Things on the corporate side are indeed complicated, and I feel more at ease with you in charge. As for the doctor—I believe Suixing and Huoxing know what they're doing."

Zhenxing stared at Suixing and Huoxing for a few seconds, then finally snorted coldly and looked away.

"Hmph—whatever."

"But remember, if you mess it up—"

He didn't finish speaking, but the chill in his words was clearly discernible.

He ignored the two men, turned and walked into the increasingly dense snowstorm, heading towards the temporary command post at the foot of the mountain.

Pluto made a "good luck" gesture to Jupiter and Saturn, then turned and followed Saturn.

God and Town, Champion's Office.

The sky outside the window was gradually darkening, but the room was brightly lit.

Zhu Lan gently put down the investigation report on the "Recent Abnormal Activities of the Galactic Archaeological Team" in her hand and stretched wearily.

This recently rising "galactic archaeology team" has a complex background, abundant funding, and operates in a rather mysterious manner.

They applied for permits for the fringe area under the guise of commercial archaeology.

However, according to the patrollers' secret report, the area of ​​activity clearly pointed to a deeper, restricted area of ​​ancient ruins.

"Unauthorized entry into the core protected area of ​​Tianguan Mountain for large-scale archaeological excavation without the Alliance's permission —"

"What exactly are they looking for? What is their purpose?"

She muttered to herself, sensing that things were not so simple.

Mt. Crown, as the sacred mountain of Sinnoh, holds too many secrets and is associated with too many ancient legends and powers.

As the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia bears the responsibility and mission of a region and cannot stand idly by while Mount Sacred is defiled by those with ill intentions.