Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 374 Is this... is this the true value of a PhD in Mythology?!

"Is there any way to quell its anger?"

A-Du broke the silence and asked.

Although he is a dragon king, he can only admit his insignificance when facing a true dragon god.

"What about Shirazuki? He should be quite knowledgeable in this area, right?"

Zhu Lan's eyes flickered slightly for a moment, as if she was suppressing some kind of emotion.

"His situation is currently unusual, and we are unable to contact him at the moment."

Her voice was calm, but she spoke a little faster than usual.

"I am currently in Wind City, where the two legends, Crimson and Azure, are also located."

"Just yesterday, we experienced a very serious disaster; the entire city's space was shattered—"

"It was Dr. Shiraishu who used the power of the Reverse World to eliminate the effects of those spacetime rifts."

"However, it may take some time before he returns, and the current rift may be related to this matter."

After she finished speaking, the conference room fell into another round of silence.

Many people started pulling up the disaster report of Fenglai City that Zhulan had just uploaded today, wanting to see the specific situation at that time.

"Using the power to reverse the world?"

A sudden voice broke the silence.

"Who gave him permission to use that level of force without the approval of the Alliance Council?!"

That was a high-ranking official of the City Alliance, and his projection was located not far behind Adu.

At that moment, he slammed his hand on the table, his face ashen, his voice filled with anger.

"Now the sky has such a huge crack! Affecting so many regions! Public panic! International pressure! The alliance's credibility is damaged!" "Who will take responsibility for this?!"

He pointed at the screen, his voice growing increasingly shrill.

"Where is Dr. Bai Zhou right now? If he doesn't come, who will clean up this mess for him?!"

"He must take full responsibility for this incident!"

This person holds a high position; he is a high-ranking official within the City Alliance responsible for administrative affairs.

The reason he dared to jump out at this moment was largely because Du's tone when questioning Bai Zhou sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

He thought he had figured out his boss's intentions and was eager to prove himself and find a "scapegoat".

Those who weren't very familiar with Bai Zhou might find his tone too sharp and harsh, but logically—it seemed to make sense.

Someone has to step up and take responsibility for this.

Those who had interacted with Bai Zhou, however, reacted quite differently.

Daigo, Michael, Leon, Yaji—nearly half of the champions frowned at the same moment.

Displeased gazes swept across the official who had spoken.

"Dr. Bai Zhou is a hero who saved the entire Fenglai City, and he deserves our respect."

Daigo was the first to respond, his tone cool and indifferent, revealing no obvious emotional fluctuation.

He didn't look at the official, but stared directly at everyone, stating his points clearly, word by word.

"At a time like this, even if someone needs to step forward and take responsibility, it should never be him, nor should it be him."

"Is this logic so hard to understand?"

Mikoli didn't speak, but simply elegantly brushed the bangs off her forehead.

Daigo's meaning is his meaning.

There was no need for extra words between them.

"Dr. Shirafuji made the right choice."

Dan Di's voice was calm and steady. He didn't argue anything, but simply expressed his truest thoughts.

He stared directly at the official, his gaze calm yet carrying an invisible sense of oppression.

"If I were in that situation, I would definitely have made the same choice."

Ye Ci's expression was calm, but his words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"Dr. Shirashu, as a scholar, bravely appeared on the front line of the battle and even took on the responsibilities and duties that some people should have borne."

"This should be worthy of respect and praise."

Her gaze swept lightly across the direction of the transition, her tone neither hurried nor slow.

"But they forcibly pinned responsibilities and duties on him that were not his responsibility, trying to make him take the blame for the dereliction of duty by others —"

"Is there something inappropriate about this?"

A-Du's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He is not a fool.

Ye Ci's words were clearly a direct reference to him; he was the true champion of both Kanto and Johto.

Because Wind City is located in the Johto region.

According to the league's rules of jurisdiction, if any problems arise there, the person primarily responsible is him, Adu, the champion.

Instead of the white boat that appeared there.

His men were now criticizing the person who had cleaned up his mess.

He himself felt ashamed.

A dragon's aura, belonging to the Dragon Taming Clan, instantly emanated from him!

Adu abruptly turned his head and coldly shouted at the oblivious official, "Do you even have the right to speak here?!"

"Did you even read the report submitted by the Bamboo Orchid Champion?!"

"If Bai Zhou doesn't use the power to reverse the world, what will happen to the residents of Fenglai City who can't evacuate in time?!"

"Are you going to take responsibility?! What will you use to take responsibility?!"

The official was rendered speechless by Adu's sudden outburst of scolding. His face turned pale and then red, and his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He subconsciously lowered his head, not daring to meet A-Du's gaze.

"roll!"

Adu was too lazy to say another word to him, so he simply turned off his communication projector and kicked that eyesore out of the meeting.

Then, taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to the meeting's topic, his tone stiff but with a touch more sincerity.

"Since the rift is related to Dr. Shiraishu, then there must be no major problems. I believe everything will be resolved once he returns."

He paused, as if he had made up his mind.

"Until then, if someone needs to take on risks and responsibilities, I will."

"Let's hold a press conference."

Zhu Lan interrupted him.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

"I'm here to explain this matter, to personally address the public, and to calm people's panic."

"I will take full responsibility until Dr. Shiraishu returns."

She raised her head and looked directly at all the attendees.

"I was also involved in using the power of the Reversal World to save Wind City; it was a decision we made together."

"But""

Du wanted to say something more.

"No buts."

Zhu Lan smiled slightly, a smile without the slightest fear.

"Let's set the location in Fenglai City and have the reporters come over."

"The people here have already experienced panic and despair once; they cannot afford to suffer a second time."

The alliance acted quickly.

Just half an hour later, an emergency press conference, open to the world, was held in the ruins square of Fenglai City.

The scene was packed with people, with hundreds of journalists from all over the world holding microphones and carrying cameras, waiting anxiously.

More citizens, trainers, and ordinary people gathered around the square or watched the press conference through the giant screens that dotted the city.

In the center of the ruined square, a makeshift podium was erected.

The background shows the outline of a city that has been destroyed and partially restored, and a shockingly huge crack in the sky.

Alliance President Dama Lanqi walked onto the podium with a solemn expression.

He was quite old, and now, under the spotlight of countless cameras, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

The scene quieted down a bit, but whispers could still be heard intermittently.

"The Alliance has launched an urgent investigation into the unusual celestial phenomena that have occurred globally."

We want the truth!

A sharp voice rang out from the crowd.

"Yes! We want the truth!"

Why did the sky crack open?!

More voices joined in, and the atmosphere at the scene instantly became electric!

D'Amaranchi's forehead was covered in even more cold sweat as he struggled to maintain order.

"Please remain calm, everyone! We have activated the highest level of emergency response! All the top stars and champions are in position! We will do our utmost to protect your safety!"

But the questions that followed became increasingly pointed.

"Calm down? How are we supposed to calm down?! Those cracks in the sky are getting bigger and bigger! Who knows what will happen next?!"

"What's behind those cracks?! Is it a new Pokémon?! Is it a disaster?!"

"We need the truth! Not these bureaucratic platitudes!"

"Where's the handsome researcher?! No, I mean Dr. Shiraishu! Where is he now?!"

"Yes! Dr. Shiraishu! He successfully rescued Lugia! And he saved us too! We only trust him! Let the doctor tell us what happened!"

"Where is Dr. Shirafusa?!"

"Let Dr. Shiraishu speak!"

The scene was in chaos.

Countless people shouted Bai Zhou's name and pushed forward excitedly, and the trainers responsible for maintaining order could hardly stop them.

Just then.

A figure walked onto the podium.

Her long, golden hair shimmered under the spotlight.

Those grey eyes were calm and resolute.

"Everyone."

Zhu Lan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Let me explain about the cracks in the sky."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

This was followed by even more heated questions.

"Champion Bamboo! Do you know what happened?! Dr. Ming defeated Lugia with the black dragon, so why can't we find him?!"

"What are those cracks?! Could they pose a threat to us?! Can Dr. Shirafusa solve them?"

"Where is Dr. Bai Zhou?! Why isn't he coming out?! He's a hero of our Fenglai City! We need him!"

""

Zhu Lan listened quietly, and only spoke slowly after all the questions had been answered.

"Professor Shirafuji was injured in the battle and is currently recuperating at the Pokémon Center. Don't worry, he's safe!"

"As for the cracks in the sky, they originated from the shockwaves of the reversed world."

"The Reverse World is a dimension opposite to our real world, ruled by the legendary Pokémon Latios."

"The crack appeared because its emotions fluctuated, but as for the reason—we don't know yet."

"But what is certain is that it has no intention of leaving the Reversal World; the cracks are merely the aftershocks of its power, not an attack."

.

"The alliance is monitoring the situation and will notify everyone immediately if there are any changes."

"Therefore, please remain calm, go home, take care of yourselves and your families, do not believe rumors, and do not spread panic."

She took a deep breath, looking directly into the camera and into the countless eyes behind it.

"Don't worry, everyone, there won't be any problems."

"I bear the responsibility in the name of the champion—"

—

Before he could finish speaking...

A hand reached out from the side and gently took the microphone from her hand.

At the same time, a familiar, gentle voice rang in her ears.

"Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to me."

Zhu Lan suddenly turned her head.

Bai Zhou was standing beside her, a familiar, gentle smile on his lips.

His clothes were somewhat disheveled, and his hair was covered in ash from somewhere, with what appeared to be some burn marks.

But his eyes remained bright.

Zhu Lan paused for a second.

Then she smiled.

In that smile, there was reassurance, pride, and a hint of—doting.

She didn't say anything, but silently took a step back, giving him the stage.

at the same time.

The jagged, massive cracks in the sky began to slowly heal.

The purple light gradually faded, and sunlight once again pierced through the clouds, shining upon the earth.

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"It's Dr. Shirafune!!!"

"The Doctor is back! Our hero is back!!!"

"The crack—the crack is disappearing! Look! The crack is really gone!!!"

"Dr. Shirafune! Dr. Shirafune!!!"

"A hero! He is the hero of our Wind City!"

Cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

Bai Zhou stood on the podium, looking at the excited faces below, and suddenly scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"Um—did I miss something amazing?"

His tone was relaxed and casual, as usual.

"First of all, I want to apologize to everyone. Because of me, I have caused you all worry and also created some unsightly gaps in the sky."

A soft chuckle rippled through the audience.

"But everyone can rest assured, those cracks have now completely healed, and our old friend from the Reverse World has calmed down and there will be no more problems."

"An old friend?!"

A reporter with a keen sense of smell caught the key words and almost jumped up, shouting, "Dr. Shirafusa! Are you talking about Giratina, the master of the Reverse World?! What's your relationship with this legendary Pokémon?!"

"Well, it's a relationship—"

Bai Zhou thought for a moment, then revealed a meaningful smile.

"Perhaps it treated me like a junior who needed its care, while I saw it as a reliable support? Perhaps—"

He raised an eyebrow and added in a low voice.

"You know, I'm a PhD in mythology, so it's normal to have some odd side hustles and connections behind the scenes—"

Right?

Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

But as I laughed, I realized something was wrong.

Normal?! How is this normal?!

We were just asking casually! You actually dared to answer?!

You actually have a personal relationship with that legendary, terrifying being who controls the world of reversal?

Is this the true value of a PhD in Mythology?!

Many reporters even forgot to ask further questions, gasping in shock as they felt their worldview, honed over many years, was violently shaken at that moment.

For a moment, the atmosphere at the scene became somewhat eerie.

However, before this eerie silence could last long, another voice rang out from the crowd, breaking the deadlock.