Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 348 "You're really something, handsome researcher!"

Holy crap! Revive! Can legendary Pokémon really do something like this?! This has crossed the line into the realm of life and death! Revive and all that—"

"Although, the legend is indeed true. The handsome researcher explained it very comprehensively. As a local, I've heard these things since I was a child."

"I suspect it's not actually that outrageous. After all, a legend is a legend, and over the years, there must have been artistic embellishment and exaggeration."

"Those two big birds are definitely Ho-Oh and Lugia, no doubt about it! And those three that were resurrected—could they be the legendary beasts Suicune, Entei, and Raikou?!"

"A hidden version?! Could it be that the story we're hearing now contains some shocking, deliberately concealed revelation?!"

"Wait, according to this, the three legendary beasts weren't legendary Pokémon before their resurrection? What were they originally? Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon?"

The live stream chat erupted into heated analysis and debate.

Leon and Kibana were naturally also intrigued, but their experience as top trainers prevented them from completely losing their judgment.

The handsome researcher's tone and demeanor at this moment clearly indicated that he was not simply a "storyteller".

He exuded the aura of a "quest-giving NPC".

"Um--

'

After a moment of contemplation, Dan Di asked the researcher Shi Qi tentatively, "I really want to know the hidden version of this legend. So, is there anything I can do to help you?"

""

Upon hearing this, the handsome researcher smiled with satisfaction, as if to say, "This kid is teachable." He then affectionately put his arm around Ah Xiang's shoulder.

"Handsome Researcher: Not bad! You're quite perceptive! There is indeed an important matter that I need to entrust to a trainer as promising and responsible as you!"

As he spoke, he looked around dramatically to make sure there were no other "passerby NPCs" eavesdropping.

He lowered his voice even further, speaking in a whisper.

"Handsome Researcher: With your intelligence, you must have already guessed that the two big birds in the story are Lugia, which controls ocean currents and storms, and Ho-Oh, which symbolizes rebirth and glory."

"Handsome Researcher: Although they have now left Enju City and soared through the wider skies and oceans, they left behind a symbol representing their existence in the tower where they once lived."

The handsome researcher paused slightly, his relaxed expression gradually replaced by an unusual seriousness.

"Handsome Researcher: And that's precisely why these two symbolic objects contain power almost equivalent to the rules themselves! The resonance of their power can even transcend the barriers of time and space, attracting the attention of the Celebi!"

"Handsome Researcher: Imagine if these two items fell into the hands of malicious individuals. Using their power, they might even forcibly summon and steal Celebi's time-traveling ability! The consequences—unthinkable!"

"hiss----"

Dante and Kibana both gasped, their expressions turning extremely serious.

To be honest, neither of them knew much about Ho-Oh, Lugia, or even Celebi, and they lacked a deeper understanding of them.

But the handsome researcher's demeanor and tone clearly told them—this was obviously a hidden plot line of extremely high importance!

They might not understand the details, but the experts in the live stream chat know far more than they do, and they've already started frantically discussing it.

"WTF! They forcibly stole Celebi's time manipulation abilities?!"

"Is this something you can just say casually in a game?! It involves way too many things! This kind of thing couldn't possibly exist in real life!"

"It's hard to say—don't forget that many of the game's settings, as depicted in Pokémon, have vague correspondences or subtle clues in the real world."

"Indeed, and the Pokémon ecology information revealed in the game has not been proven to be wrong so far."

"So the masked man has been searching for Celebi, is it to use its power to go back in time and change something?"

"Let's make a bold guess! The symbolic items left behind by Ho-Oh and Lugia...could they be the Rainbow Feather and the Silver Feather?! That would explain why the Gold and Silver Orbs attracted Celebi!"

The chat was lively and the amount of information was explosive.

Dante and Chibana disregarded their image and frantically spied on the screen to gather information.

"Masked Man? Celebi? Gold and Silver Balls? What is all this about?"

Dante frowned and subconsciously turned to look at Chibana beside him, trying to get some clues from him.

But Cibana could only shake his head and shrug.

Do not ask!

He still hasn't completed that hidden storyline!

How did he know!

"Handsome Researcher: So One"

Just as the two were processing the information, the handsome researcher suddenly raised his voice, drawing Dante and Kibana's attention back to the present.

"Handsome Researcher: To prevent the world from being destroyed! To protect world peace! And of course, more importantly, for the safety of the citizens of Enju City and the stability of history."

"Handsome Researcher: I've decided that these two items, which symbolize immense risk, must be collected and stored with utmost care!"

"Handsome Researcher: I have successfully found the one located in the Bell Tower, but the other one hidden in this charred tower is still missing, and the search has encountered an obstacle."

The handsome researcher's gaze fell on Ah Xiang again, filled with trust and expectation.

"Handsome Researcher: This is the mission I'm assigning you. Follow me into the Burnt Tower and find the hidden symbol! Do you understand the importance of this mission?"

"Of course, no problem!"

Dan Di agreed almost without hesitation.

When faced with potential threats that could jeopardize the city's safety or even the stability of the timeline, his sense of responsibility to protect the people and the world instantly ignited.

It even made him seem a little "anxious".

"When do we leave?"

The handsome researcher didn't say anything more, but just gave him a meaningful smile.

Then, with a flourish, he turned around and walked straight out of the Pokémon Center.

Actions speak louder than words.

Dan Di quickly controlled Ah Xiang to chase after them.

During this brief break, Qibana quietly slipped out of the live stream's view, quickly picked up his phone, and began frantically catching up on his lessons.

Search and fast forward to watch the side story segments about "Shurabi" and "Gold and Silver Balls" from Kiju's previous live stream!

He didn't want to be clueless like a fool in the crucial plot points that followed due to a lack of information, or to miss any important hints!

When Cibana finished his lesson in a hurry, took a deep breath, and returned to the camera's view.

Ah Xiang, led by the handsome researcher, has arrived at the destination of this trip: the Burnt Tower.

What comes into view is a tall platform built of huge stones, and the Burnt Tower stands on this platform, silently telling the story of the past calamities.

Looking from the side, you can clearly see the towering spire of the Bell Tower in the distance.

The two towers once stood side by side, but now they form a stark contrast.

The charred tower was noticeably shorter, as if an invisible giant blade had sliced ​​off a section of its top.

The remaining part is about three stories high, with the exterior walls charred black and covered with gruesome marks left by the fire.

Although workers could be seen carrying out basic maintenance work outside the tower, the entire tower still exuded an undeniable sense of decay and vicissitude.

Researcher Shi Qi led A Xiang forward. The staff member guarding the door seemed to recognize him, and simply nodded before making way for them to enter.

Stepping inside the tower, the dilapidated state of the ruins became even more shocking.

Sunlight streamed down from the burnt-through hole at the top of the tower, forming beams of light.

Almost no part of the tower's floor was intact; rubble, burnt wood, and broken tiles were scattered everywhere, creating a scene of utter chaos.

The wooden floors and stairs that should have been there leading to the upper floors were mostly damaged and broken, making them difficult to pass through.

"Handsome researcher: This is it."

The handsome researcher looked around, his tone tinged with emotion, before turning to Ah Xiang with a serious expression.

"Handsome researcher: Our mission is to find the symbol hidden here."

"Handsome researcher: I believe that with your keen insight and perseverance, you can definitely do it!"

He gave Ah Xiang a very earnest word of encouragement, and then—no longer paid any attention to Ah Xiang, began to slowly stroll along the dilapidated tower wall.

Sometimes he would reach out and touch the charred stone pillars, sometimes he would look up and observe the broken structure of the roof, as if he were carefully examining something.

But they didn't seem to be in a hurry to find something.

"The mission is to find that item here—"

Dandi muttered to himself, not in a hurry to act because of the NPC's "slacking off".

His experience as a champion taught him to observe the environment first.

He guided Ah Xiang to carefully circle the dilapidated first-floor lobby, memorizing the surrounding terrain, possible hiding places, and structural features.

He soon discovered it.

Apart from the relatively sturdy stone foundation on the first floor, the original wooden floors on the second and third floors were almost completely destroyed.

The original staircase had long since broken and was no longer climbable.

In the end, he only managed to reach the relatively intact third floor area by relying on the Dratini.

However, after a thorough search, nothing was found.

Emperor Dan frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

The interior space of the charred tower is actually not complicated; in fact, it can be said to be completely transparent.

There are very few places to hide things.

He had carefully examined the base of the stone pillars, the larger piles of rubble, and the possible cavities in the walls.

"No—something's wrong—"

Dan Di's instincts told him that things weren't that simple.

Based on his experience as a champion in carrying out various missions on the ground, he felt that he might have been misled by some kind of habitual thinking.

With that in mind, he stopped searching blindly and instead turned his attention to the handsome researcher who seemed to be "strolling" inside the tower.

This observation led him to discover something amiss.

Although the researcher walked around and his gaze wandered, his attention did not seem to be on those corners where "things might be hidden".

Instead, he spent more time observing places where it was clearly impossible to store items.

For example, the huge stone pillars supporting the tower, a relatively intact wall, or even a specific area of ​​light spots formed by sunlight.

"Caught a slacker! We agreed to look for something together, but he ended up wandering around the historical sites by himself!"

"Hilarious! He set the quest himself, the players did the work, and he slacked off himself. Unbelievable!"

"You're really something, handsome researcher!"

"We've searched the whole place, but we haven't found a single thing. This tower doesn't look like it's hiding any treasure at all."

"Is that handsome researcher trying to fool Ah Xiang? If there really was something here, it would have been picked up by someone else all these years ago. How could it possibly be our turn?"

"That makes sense—then why did he go to all that trouble to bring us to this dilapidated tower? Surely he didn't really come here to visit a historical site?"

Dan didn't let the comments sway him.

On the contrary, the more "abnormal" and "unprofessional" the researcher Shi Qi acted, the more he felt there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

Could it be that the key is not in finding, but in solving?

"Hidden inside this tower is a mechanism that needs to be triggered or solved?"

The seemingly meaningless observations made by the researcher Shi Qi are actually a search for clues or specific conditions to unlock the mechanism.

The idea flashed through his mind like a spark.

To test this idea, Dante stopped obsessing over searching through the rubble.

Instead, he began to imitate the handsome researcher, controlling A-Xiang to look at those easily overlooked "environmental details".

At this moment, Qibana, who had finally finished watching the recorded episode of Qishu, returned to the live broadcast screen.

But when he returned, he found Leon controlling his character to wander around the scorched tower for ages without making a move. Unable to contain himself any longer, he asked, "Hey, Leon, what are you doing wandering around like that? Performance art?"

"I asked, raising an eyebrow," Cibana asked.

"No.

Dan Di didn't turn his head, still focused on the screen.

"I suspect there are hidden mechanisms in the tower. The handsome researcher's behavior is very unusual. He may be looking for clues to activate the mechanisms, so I am imitating him."

As he spoke, he deliberately turned the camera toward the handsome researcher next to him who was carefully studying the murals on the wall.

"I see----"

Kibana nodded slowly, but then looked Dan up and down with the same look he gave a "rare idiot".

"Let me ask you a question, champion."

"you say."

"Since you say there's a mechanism, there must be a hidden room or secret compartment behind it to hide things, right?"

"right."

"Okay, then let me ask you another question—"

""

Chibana drew out his words, pointing to the structure of the charred tower on the screen.

"This tower is just a wall around its perimeter, and the middle is hollow. So let me ask you, where is the secret room? It can't be hidden in a gap in the wall, can it? That would be too shabby."

"Forehead----"

Dan Di was speechless for a moment, and his movements froze.

He was so focused on finding the mechanism that he completely overlooked the most basic spatial logic!

A darkroom requires additional space!

space----

The existing structure of the charred tower simply doesn't have enough space to accommodate a hidden compartment.

Dan's gaze swept over every architectural detail in the game screen, and the sense of incongruity grew stronger and stronger.

"Wait! I understand!"

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and locked onto the stone floor beneath his feet.

"Space! Cibanar, you're right!"

Qibana's face scrunched up, completely unable to keep up with Dan's leaping train of thought.

"Huh? What did I say?"

"What if the hidden compartment isn't on the surface, but underground?"

Dandi's voice carried a hint of excitement as he pointed to the stone floor on the first floor, which was completely different from the other floors in the picture.

"Why is only the first floor a solid stone floor, while the upper two floors have flammable wooden floors? I guess there's a hollow space underneath!"

"Hmm—that sounds like it makes some sense—"

Cibana stroked his chin and nodded in a serious manner.

Just as Dante thought he had gained recognition and straightened his back slightly, Qibana's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.

"So, have you found the mechanism to open this underground chamber? Where's the switch? Is it by stepping on a stone slab or turning a torch?"

Emperor Dan: "————"

His back, which had just straightened, silently hunched back down again.

He indeed couldn't find the mechanism.

"Give me the controller!"

Seeing this, Kibana snatched the game controller from Dan's hand without any hesitation, a slightly arrogant smile on his face.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll show you, you blockhead, what real skill is! Learn from me!"

Before he could finish speaking, Qibana had already controlled A-Xiang and summoned the Fire Rock Rat.

"Cyndaquil! Use Fire Wheel on the ground directly in front of you!"

"Wait! Chibana! This is the Burnt Tower! A historical site! You can't!" Dante exclaimed in shock, trying to stop him.

Openly setting fire to the charred tower?! Won't that trigger any punishment mechanisms or get me hunted down by Officer Jenny?!

However, it was too late for him to stop it.

In the scene, the Fire Rock Rat is engulfed in blazing flames, transforming into a giant, raging fire wheel.

With unstoppable momentum, it slammed down hard onto the stone slab in front of it!

boom!!!

A loud crash was heard!

The stone slab that was struck by the fiery wheel did not melt or shatter like ordinary rocks.

Instead, it suddenly collapsed downwards, creating a huge, irregular pit!

Smoke and dust billowed up!

Then, through the collapsed area and the dust that rose up.

An artificial stone staircase extending diagonally downwards, and the deep, dark underground space behind it, were suddenly exposed to the sunlight and to everyone's sight!

The cave was by no means naturally formed; the orderly steps and the faintly visible brick and stone structure all indicated that this was a carefully hidden underground floor!

"Holy crap! This is allowed?! This is outrageous!"

"Tirana! I hereby call you the number one brute-force demolition player in Pokémon!"

"On Another Way to Approach Puzzle Games: Forced Demolition"

"You old scoundrel, come out and take your punishment! Did someone set up this trap?! You find one and let me see!"

"I suspect the normal gameplay is what Leon showed us, where you need to combine the researcher's actions with clues inside the tower to find the switch to open the secret passage! This is a completely cheesy way of playing by exploiting a bug!"

"Upstairs, you call this a bug? This is pioneering thinking!"