Chapter 117: Aether Headquarters
The second day morning.
Zuo Hang stepped on Doublade, following the Salamence ahead.
The two had been flying for nearly half an hour.
The current time was 6:30 in the morning, and they had set off around six o’clock.
Salamence was not flying at full speed, so Zuo Hang’s face did not feel too strong wind.
After all, it was a long flight; if they flew too fast at the beginning, their stamina might not hold up later.
Madame Blood Dragon was flying north, and Zuo Hang thought of a place.
He remembered Blood Dragon saying that Aether’s headquarters was far from Feiao City, and flying north from Feiao City all the way to the end.
Three hours later.
The air gradually grew colder.
Zuo Hang pulled out the Black Terminal.
The map showed the location as Siberia, red, which was the signal for the Ecological Dense Area.
Zuo Hang had been to the Far North to capture Articuno.
That legendary divine bird seemed to have no destiny with Zuo Hang; he had stayed in Siberia for nearly half a year, and not only had he not seen Articuno, he hadn’t even heard any news related to Articuno.
Siberia was a vast area, but the Siberia that trainers referred to was usually the red-marked region on the map, which was the Far North in the usual sense.
A cluster of pure white buildings.
Flying further ahead would reach the Arctic Ocean.
Zuo Hang looked at the map on the Black Terminal. It did not show this cluster of white buildings.
“Ding~ Don’t ask me, this terminal also has many things I can’t say. Don’t subconsciously think that this terminal knows everything; being overly dependent on me will cause you to suffer losses someday.”
“Pika??!!” The Electric Mouse expressed confusion at the terminal’s retort.
Zuo Hang had an impulse to smash the terminal.
He hadn’t meant to retort at all just now; this Black Terminal’s mindset had gradually become corrupted.
“This is the place, preparing to land.” Madame Blood Dragon, flying ahead, said.
Doublade landed steadily.
Salamence’s landing was a bit more dramatic, with both pairs of wings flapping, stirring up a lot of snowflakes.
The building cluster had no guards or doors; the white walls showed no discernible material.
Madame Blood Dragon pulled a card from the inner pocket of her coat and swiped it at what looked like a white wall position.
“Level 5 clearance, passage permitted.”
An electronic synthesized voice came from somewhere.
Unlike the Black Terminal’s voice with a hint of personality, this synthesized voice was very cold and gender-neutral, which suited the weather here well.
Zuo Hang followed Blood Dragon into the building; the temperature inside was much warmer. Although trainers could endure extreme cold, the warm environment was clearly much more comfortable than outside.
The two walked through the pure white corridor; Madame Blood Dragon swiped her terminal at what looked like an elevator entrance.
–
1, -2, -3-15.
“You’re back.” After the elevator doors opened, a bearded foreign man smiled warmly at Madame Blood Dragon.
He was wearing a white lab coat, seemingly a staff member here.
“Want a glass?” Madame Blood Dragon pulled a bottle of red wine from a small table on a workbench.
“Vodka, the drink of Siberian people, try it, it keeps you warm.”
Blood Dragon seemed to suddenly remember something. “Sorry, you’re not of age yet, right? My oversight.”
Zuo Hang didn’t care about the wine Madame Blood Dragon handed him; his gaze was entirely on the transparent glass window in front of him.
He had originally thought he could only see such a scene in movie shots or novel descriptions.
—Several children wearing clean white shirts were confined in a room of moderate size, with toys like rocking horses inside that could develop intelligence.
“1, 2, 39.” Zuo Hang silently counted in his heart; there were a total of nine children behind the transparent glass window. Moreover, each had a Pokémon by their side.
“Pikachu, Mudkip, Chimchar.”
These children and Pokémon seemed unable to see the people outside the mirror.
Zuo Hang felt a slight rage.
He didn’t know the meaning of this experiment, but regardless, depriving Pokémon and children of their freedom was extremely inhumane.
“This is a one-way mirror; the outside can see in, but the inside can’t see out.” Madame Blood Dragon spoke up.
“You might think this experiment is inhumane, but from the perspective of humanity’s continuation, this experiment is necessary. Have you heard of Bond Evolution? It produces energy comparable to Mega Evolution through the bond between humans and Pokémon, even surpassing Mega Evolution.”
“Facing Ultra Beasts, we need to utilize every powerful means available.”
After hearing this, the anger in Zuo Hang’s heart grew even stronger.
The boys and girls in the glass. The Pokémon that seemed to get along harmoniously with them. The workbench displayed values similar to intimacy levels, fluctuating between 91 and 95.
Zuo Hang had already guessed the rest of the experiment’s plot.
When the intimacy stabilizes at a certain level, throw this group of children into the snowfield, into the Ecological Dense Area, then brainwash them with words like “you shoulder humanity’s future” to firm up their belief in continuing to live.
Forcibly cultivate bonds through battle, awaken evolution through repeated adversities.
This method.
Even if Bond Evolution is achieved.
Zuo Hang didn’t want to hastily judge the rights and wrongs of something. If it were him, he might also take his Pokémon to venture in the High-Risk Zone, growing stronger through repeated adversities.
The difference between the two was merely passive versus active; the trainers who walked out of Aether’s white house might not be weaker than him.
Madame Blood Dragon had been observing Zuo Hang’s actions.
She noticed this boy’s expression shift from rage back to calm.
“I’ve seen many absolute idealists; without exception, when they saw this scene, they all turned against Aether, and quite a few even wanted to destroy this place.”
Madame Blood Dragon said gravely: “It seems the ideal world you’ve subconsciously built for yourself is no utopia.”
“Absolute ideal?” Zuo Hang frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Don’t mind it, it’s some irrelevant matters. So, how about it? Want to spar with these kids?”
“Me? With them? What are you saying? They’re still children.”
“Haha.” Madame Blood Dragon chuckled lightly: “Don’t underestimate kids. They are trainers grown entirely according to Aether’s plan; whether physical fitness or commanding Pokémon, they far surpass their peers. Aren’t you only 15 too?”
“Don’t judge by their seemingly frail appearance; the battles they’ve experienced are no fewer than yours.”
“These kids are all main forces against Ultra Beasts.”
“Main forces? Children?” Zuo Hang looked at Blood Dragon.
“Don’t misunderstand, not them directly. Before age 6, they only operate within the Ecological Dense Area’s range. Only after accumulating sufficient battle experience are they deployed to the Beast Battlefield.”
Blood Dragon glanced at the display in front of the glass and said: “K295 has no mission today. I suggest you battle her to try it out. She’s a year younger than you but has been active on the Beast Battlefield for two years. Test how strong these kids who fight as opponents are, and then I’ll take you down to the Secret Realm. It’s been a long time since an absolute ideal explorer like you could listen quietly to the whole story.”
（ps: Recommendation votes!! Brothers alliance! Charge!!）
