Chapter 62: The Meaning Of Striving To Become Stronger
Zuo Hang suddenly exerted force under his feet, stomping down on the sticky head of the “Purple Gray Pokémon” and using it to leap back.
Looking around again, he realized there was a vast swamp right in front of him.
What he had just stepped on seemed to be a Grimer, or maybe a Muk. This Pokémon’s evolution didn’t look much different from its original form, especially since the Grimer was already covered in the thick liquid from the swamp when it emerged.
“wdnmd!!”
After running through high-risk zones for nine years, this was the first time he’d encountered such a disgusting situation.
No wonder this damned place was called Purple Gray Swamp…
“——Gulp~”
A purple-gray bubble emerged from the swamp in front of him.
“——Gulp~ Gulp~~”
It was like poking a hornet’s nest, with one followed by dozens more.
Given the size of this swamp… having hundreds or even thousands seemed entirely plausible!
Thunderous lights flashed in the distance.
Dragon-types are weak to Electric, but the Pikachu could handle two evil dragons single-handedly with no problem.
Moonlight erupted from Gardevoir’s hand, blasting directly onto the back of a Hydreigon.
Fairy hits Dragon, quadruple weakness.
Zuo Hang couldn’t intervene in the distant battle.
The Grimer in front of him was already crawling toward him.
Zuo Hang pulled out Darkrai’s Poké Ball.
“Dark Pulse!”
A red glow flashed, and Darkrai emerged from the Poké Ball.
The sight of this “swamp of a thousand pilgrims” completely stunned him.
What Dark Pulse?
Darkrai, frightened, quickly clasped his hands together and opened a Dark Void beneath the horde of Grimer.
Fortunately, these things weren’t fast and couldn’t fly, so they couldn’t escape the Nightmare Space of the Dark Void.
To prevent more Grimer from emerging, Darkrai expanded the space of the Dark Void, enveloping the entire swamp area in his line of sight.
“——Snap~”
Darkrai instinctively snapped his fingers.
Hypnosis followed by Dream Eater—this was Darkrai’s long-standing habit.
However…
He regretted it right after…
Grimer eat all sorts of garbage, and from an environmental protection perspective, Grimer have made a huge contribution to the planet’s environment.
And the nightmares of these Pokémon…
Darkrai saw hundreds of Grimer and Muk frantically eating garbage, then eating until they burst.
Darkrai did like eating nightmares, no doubt.
But this nightmare was a bit too heavy-handed, and somewhat ironic.
He’d always thought Grimer ate garbage because they loved it, but their nightmare turned out to be eating garbage until they burst…
In their minds, eating garbage was actually considered a nightmare.
Perhaps these Pokémon ate garbage not because they liked it…
“Dark…” The Nightmare God asked Zuo Hang.
“How do Grimer come about? Why are you suddenly asking this?” Zuo Hang said: “The Pokédex says genetic mutation. There’s also a theory that Grimer are Pokémon born from sludge. This Pokémon is relatively young, having been added to the Pokédex less than a century ago.”
Zuo Hang patted Darkrai and asked: “What’s wrong?”
Darkrai shook his head, indicating he was fine.
The distant battle had ended, but the thunderclouds above hadn’t dispersed yet.
Pikachu had no terminal and didn’t know the strength of this Hydreigon. Plus, Dragon-types are weak to Electric, so he directly unleashed a Thunder Kirin on the two dragon brothers, pulling off an Electric attribute peak form change.
Gardevoir’s Dazzling Gleam missed, but a Moonblast hit the dragon’s back. Just as she raised her hand for another Moonblast, a golden electric Kirin dropped from the sky, swallowing both dragons right in front of her.
Worried that Pikachu might overdo it and electrocute the two dragon babies, Gardevoir quietly mixed some Dew of Life into the heavy rain caused by Thunder.
——Dew of Life, Water-type change, power 0: Creates mystical water that restores Pokémon’s life force within a certain range.
Gardevoir crossed her arms unhappily and Teleported back to Zuo Hang’s side.
She hadn’t even started fighting, and the two dragon babies were almost gone.
How was she supposed to play once Pikachu entered the fray?
She shouldn’t have activated Misty Terrain for that Electric Mouse!
“Shala~（(▼▼#)）” Gardevoir ran to Zuo Hang’s side and complained.
On the other side.
The Electric Mouse couldn’t fly or Teleport, and getting back meant crossing a swamp. He’d just encountered a group of Grimer on the way here and wasn’t too keen on returning.
Before the fight, Pikachu had seen the two Hydreigon flying out of a cave.
Standing at the cave entrance, he perked up his ears and listened.
It seemed quiet inside.
The Electric Mouse trotted into the cave on his short legs.
“Pika???（『?』）”
Why was there a person lying here?
Pikachu ignored it and kept walking deeper inside.
It was a bit dark in the cave. Pikachu remembered the dark clouds from Thunder earlier hadn’t dispersed.
He immediately waved his little hand, and light flooded into the cave.
“Pika?!”
“Pikachu!!!”
The Electric Mouse stared at the nest of round Pokémon Eggs in front of him, like he’d discovered a new continent.
He knew what these were.
Valuable!
Super valuable!
A Piplup egg could sell for 500k, and these dragon eggs could easily fetch ten times that!
Gardevoir used Psychic to bring Zuo Hang into the cave, followed by the Nightmare God.
First glance: Lin Ping lying in the cave.
Probably fainted from fear. Zuo Hang ignored him and walked straight inside.
Second glance: the Electric Mouse drooling over a nest of Pokémon Eggs.
Zuo Hang stepped forward, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him up.
“What are you thinking? Every single day?”
“Pika!! Pika!!”
“Money? Five million for a nest??”
Zuo Hang knocked Pikachu on the head and said: “Stealing eggs is what poachers do. We’re proper trainers.”
“Pika!!!”
“No amount of money makes it okay!”
Zuo Hang slapped Lin Ping’s face a few times, waking the guy up with physical means.
Hydreigon eggs were indeed valuable, and Zuo Hang had channels to fence them.
If he were a penniless nobody, constantly looked down on and mocked, he’d probably grab the eggs and run without a second thought.
But the problem was, he wasn’t.
He wasn’t a loser, and no one mocked him.
His old man was stingy, but he was at least an Electric-type Elite Four. The fact that he could raise over 300 kids proved Zuo Hang didn’t need the 5 million from those few eggs.
When you’re weak, you might do conscienceless things like stealing eggs.
But you strive to become stronger so that one day, when faced with a choice, you can unhesitatingly make the decisions you believe are right.
Lin Ping slowly came to.
“Zuo Hang? Gardevoir? Darkrai? Electric Mouse? When did you get here? What about that 20-meter Hydreigon?”
“Outside.” Zuo Hang said.
Lin Ping walked out of the cave, and the sudden light made him slightly uncomfortable.
That 20-plus-meter-long Pokémon, rated S+ in combat power, was lying right in front of him.
Charred black all over, not moving an inch!
“Ah this… this… this… dead?” Lin Ping couldn’t believe it.
“Not dead.” Zuo Hang said: “Still has a breath left. Wild Pokémon recover fast; it’ll be bouncing around again in half a day.”
Tips of a hundred here, a hundred there—suddenly feeling like a beggar, shaking my bowl at you with every update, and you toss in a buck, though platforms take half so I only get fifty cents.
Tears falling uncontrollably（doge）
Just kidding, daily vote begging as usual~~
