LRAB Chapter 141 The Illusion of the Ideal Man
Chapter 141 The Illusion of the Ideal Man
Chapter 151 The Illusion of the Ideal Man
"Sneak Peek" landed spectacularly in empty space, freezing Gengar's grinning face instantly.
Gengar stared in astonishment as the green-haired youth's figure vanished before its eyes.
What the hell is this thing?
The purple fat guy from Kanto had never seen such a fancy thing before. It could actually create illusions in an empty space. Even Ditto wasn't this outrageous!
At the same time, a black figure silently appeared behind the purple ghost, just as Gengar had done when it tried to attack N, launching an attack from behind on the unprepared enemy!
"Gengar, watch out behind you!" Azure shouted a warning to Gengar in the distance, ignoring the chaotic battle in front of her, but it was too late.
Like a bewitching phantom formed from the air, a black fox with dark red mane appeared out of thin air—it was Zoroark, the creature Touko had mentioned.
Dark-type physical attack move, "Dark Strike!"
The crimson claws suddenly thrust forward, striking Gengar in the back at a tricky angle.
The latter screamed and was sent flying into the shadows beneath the feet of the Damo baboon.
Zoroark let out a triumphant snort, wanting to continue the pursuit, but after taking a few steps forward, he realized that his opponent, whom he had just knocked down, had vanished without a trace.
It turned out that Gengar had once again leaped into the shadows, using the ancient Pokémon's enormous shadow to conceal itself. The numerous wild Pokémon provided excellent cover for Ghost-type Pokémon, and after several instances of stealth, it safely escaped the enemy's encirclement.
The azure Gengar made a face at Zoroark, which was far behind it. It wasn't stupid; after its attack failed and it was ambushed instead, there was no point in continuing to be surrounded. Leaving the battlefield was the best option.
Seeing that Gengar, though injured, had finally retreated safely, the assistant's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down a little. She then focused her attention back on commanding Blastoise and Eevee. While instructing Blastoise to withstand the powerful moves occasionally unleashed by the ancient Pokémon to prevent the wall from being destroyed, she kept an eye on Eevee's situation and guided it to drive back the wild Pokémon in front of it.
However, the previous doubts still lingered in the girl's mind—if the ancient elves were Zoroark's "illusions," then where exactly was N's true form?
Could it be that they have secretly bypassed Azure and Douzi and escaped through the exit?
This is impossible, because Azure had seen that the phantom of N that Gengar hit was still issuing commands to the wild Pokémon around it before being struck, including adjustments to Blastoise's formation. These commands would have to be adjusted based on the situation, which means that there must have been some kind of on-site communication between N and Zoroark.
Such a meticulous performance requires both a human and a fox to be present at the same time.
Thinking of this, Azure felt a chill run down her spine. N himself was nearby! What was he planning to do, hiding in the shadows?
"Oh no! Someone has poisoned the air!"
While Douzi was multitasking, the assistant suddenly noticed an unusual smell in the air behind her. She immediately alerted him and covered her mouth and nose.
Looking back, they saw purple poisonous mist rising from behind the two girls, obscuring the path ahead.
"Oh no, Hugo is still inside!"
Douzi immediately realized what was happening and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. She looked at the remaining Poké Balls on her body, gritted her teeth, and sent out her Vulpix, which was covered in battle wounds.
"Hang in there, Vulturena, use 'Clear Smoke' on the poisonous fog."
A dark brown vulture with a bone club stuck in its head struggled to land on the ground, its ruffled wings creating a gentle breeze.
A gust of wind containing flight-type energy swept by, instantly clearing the air, and the two girls were finally able to see what was happening behind them.
As the smoke dissipated, the figure that emerged was none other than N, who had vanished into the enemy ranks!
Beside him, the Koffing, which had been knocked unconscious by Eevee's Quick Attack, floated leisurely, proudly exhaling purple smoke rings—it was clear that it was the encouragement from the person next to it who listened to the Pokémon's thoughts that had roused it.
The green-haired youth who appeared gazed at the ravaged battlefield before him. The sounds of clashing skills echoed everywhere, leaving large craters in the ground. Many of the wild elves who had fought alongside him were already wounded and unconscious, being dragged away by their fellow elves to recuperate.
Seeing this, sadness gradually filled the eyes of the Plasma King.
So he raised his left hand and bowed to the two girls—
"Touko, and Miss Detective Assistant, please stop. There's no need for a fight now."
The young man's voice seemed to possess a bewitching quality, and the two girls abruptly stopped giving commands. The Pokémon on both sides also ceased their escalating attacks as their respective trainers fell silent in their standoff.
The girls stopped because of the green-haired youth's influence; the real reason is quite obvious.
They saw the hostage N was holding—the detective in the white coat who was unconscious due to gas poisoning!
Hugo's face was purple, his eyes were closed, and he was being held by N with his left hand. His safety was completely in the enemy's control.
In ancient times, our ancestors believed that the heart of snake-type Pokémon was located seven inches below its head. The saying "strike the snake seven inches" refers to seizing the opponent's weakest point to turn the overall situation in one's favor.
The king of the plasma cluster actually came up with the same plan as Azure!
After seeing the detective and his assistant appear, N cleverly switched places with Zoroark's "Phantom," infiltrating the enemy's ranks alone. He awakened the unconscious Gas Bomb, pinpointed the weakest link in the Azure Squad, and defeated the enemy in one fell swoop!
"Although it's a bit despicable to do this, it's the only way to end this pointless fight. Please leave here and take your elves back for treatment. We will not pursue you any further."
The green-haired youth, carrying the detective in one hand, earnestly advised the two girls to leave the area and not to interfere with his attack on the police station.
"Hey! N, you wouldn't kill anyone, right?"
Douzi looked uncertainly at N, her deep blue eyes reflecting the somewhat unfamiliar figure of her friend.
“I will ensure the detective’s safety. Once we enter the city, we will take him to the nearby Pokémon Center… but until then, you must make way for us.”
The other party understood Douzi's implied meaning and answered in the same way without hesitation.
"N, what clue in the police station is so persistent that it made you lose your mind and decide to challenge the city's security limits?"
Azure tentatively stepped forward, testing her opponent's tolerance. But at the same time, the gas bomb beside the green-haired youth sharpened its eyes, releasing a small puff of poison gas from the purple crater—a clear warning. The assistant had no choice but to withdraw her foot.
"I haven't lost my mind." The green-haired youth shook his head, ignoring the subtle movements of both sides, and answered the blue-haired man's question—
"After parting ways with you at the inn, I further verified my conjecture in Liyong City. In the process, I discovered an even more shocking truth—the industrial development of Liyong City is actually built on the blood and tears of countless Pokémon. The shady tricks of the Liyong Power Plant are merely a speck on this dark reality. In fact, all industrial production in Liyong City relies on the systematic and long-term oppression of Pokémon!"
N stared directly at Douzi: "Do you know why I've been able to gather so many wild Pokémon here today? It's because they are all Pokémon that were exploited and oppressed by humans during the development of the industrial zone! Their hearts are filled with burning anger at the atrocities committed by humans!"
The girl with the high ponytail couldn't help but glance behind her, looking at the wild elves who had once worked there and were eventually abandoned in the wilderness.
Only then did she truly meet the gazes of those enemies. It wasn't the resentment born of no one abandoning her, but a more murky, deeper anger! This sent chills down Douzi's spine. Even when those two enormous ancient spirits appeared earlier, the girl hadn't wavered like this.
Have you witnessed the places where these elves once worked?
N, who was holding the detective hostage, asked the question, but Touko and Azur Lane did not respond, which was a silent denial.
"To reduce costs, these factories are usually cramped, lack sunlight, are noisy, and have polluted air. Regardless of the season, they are always filled with high temperatures that are unbearable for any Pokémon except for Fire-type Pokémon. What's even more shameful is that the factory owners in Lishui City always disregard the safety of Pokémon. Production safety accidents are frequent and industrial pollution is severe in the places where they work. Pokémon work in such harsh environments and have to work overtime and overtime. They only have so little food each day that they can't even meet the bare minimum for food and clothing!"
Is life in the factory really that bad for Pokémon? Both Azure and Flint were utterly shocked when they heard N's speech—they had never heard of anything like it before.
"Is it hard to understand? That's normal. The suffering of the weak elves is too far removed from human life. Even if they occasionally hear cries, they'll just think of it as leaves swaying in the wind; even if their tiny dignity is shattered in pain, it's just like the rustling of the earth beneath their feet..."
The young man, facing the winter wind, sighed like a poet, his green hair under the black and white baseball cap fluttering in the wind like threads connecting him to distant places.
Putting aside their positions, N might truly become the king he aspires to be. Azure thought to herself.
This person would never stand idly by in the face of suffering. He appeared detached and acted with reason, yet harbored a heart burning with the intensity of thunder and fire. He gazed into the infinite distance, not to plunder its beauty, but simply to bring more spirits under his protection.
The assistant finally understood the young man's purpose in doing this. That person had never hidden his thoughts; whenever someone asked a question, he would openly and honestly display the ideals he was so proud of.
This time will be no exception.
Why did N lead a group of wild Pokémon to storm Liyu City and use such a drastic method as taking down the police station to achieve his goal? Why did he, with his and Zoroark's abilities, choose to come to the suburbs and gather these not-so-strong and not-so-intelligent wild Pokémon to launch a massive attack on the police station when he could have easily stolen all the materials he wanted from the police without anyone knowing?
that is because--
Ignoring the hostage in the other party's hands, Azure suddenly stepped forward, pointed at the King of Plasma, and revealed the other party's intention!
“I understand, N. Your real goal isn’t those few pieces of evidence in the police station! It’s to completely reform the labor laws of Riyong City! You want to start a revolution, to let the world see the anger of Pokémon, to make humans fear and be afraid, so that they will begin to respect the weak Pokémon in factories! You want to use the Riyong Police Station as a target for a dangerous armed march!”
"Miss Assistant, you are very smart, but you missed one point."
N's smile was as gentle as a winter's day, showing no trace of a revolutionary's radical attitude.
"This parade will be held in the name of the King of Plasma. I hope that after I leave in disgrace, the Spirits in the Tatei-Yū City factory can work safely and comfortably, enjoy fresh air and plenty of food, and be freed from cramped spaces and industrial noise. For this, I am willing to take the risk."