novelhk Chapter 164 The End of the Plasma Cluster
Chapter 164 The End of the Plasma Cluster
Chapter 174 The End of the Plasma Cluster
Returning to the Plasma Group's secret headquarters from Liyong City requires a boat trip, and N is currently aboard this private yacht bound for the base.
The overly decorated, bright silver yacht glided smoothly and quickly across the sea. After seven hours of sailing, it had passed Deer Town in the southeast corner of the United States and was now cutting through the waves towards the northernmost part of the region.
In the spacious cabin reserved for N alone, the green-haired youth sat on the carpet with his back against the wall, while Zoroark lay asleep beside him, curled up tightly like a large, dark red plush pillow.
This sleeping posture is a habit that Zoroark developed when it was still Zoroark. In the past, when it was surrounded by poachers and had to lie down in the sewers, it had to adopt this sleeping posture in order to maintain its body temperature.
"It is a misfortune for Pokémon to be in the hands of humans; they should be returned to nature"—whenever Zoroark lay sleeping like this beside him, the wise men's teachings, like the Blue Toad's "round singing," naturally floated into N's ears.
And he himself sincerely believes so too.
Just as the detective and Touko had predicted, N was relieved that the Electric-type Pokémon had "come back to life," but he didn't have any other thoughts. While it was touching to see humans helping each other with their Pokémon, wasn't it the indifference of the same group of humans that had put Voltorb and the others in a desperate situation on the verge of death?
Some sins can only be atoneed for, not washed away.
N's thoughts turned to the destination of this trip—that fortress that could not be shaken no matter how far the journey or how many friends she had.
N's castle, which belongs to him, was built for him, and is named after him.
The thought of that magnificent building, built on the ruins of an ancient kingdom and resembling an underground labyrinth, filled him with a sense of restlessness and depression—a cage that had confined him for almost his entire life so far, and where he would remain for the foreseeable future.
The young man did not tell his friend Touko the true location of the secret building, just as he did not tell the Plasma Team's higher-ups the true intentions of the gambling king. N harbored a natural distrust of groups composed of humans—even if one side had the support of his best friend, while the other side was urging him to become their leader and to carry out his ideals.
N must keep his distance from both, sometimes as an observer, sometimes as a sculpted idol.
This neutral stance did not stem from cowardly hesitation or hypocritical concern for one's reputation, but rather from N's exceptionally clear understanding of his identity as an anomaly among humans.
Currently, only N is an outlier with the ability to sense the thoughts of Pokémon, which means that apart from him, no one else can learn about a Pokémon's feelings and needs through direct conversation.
Therefore, N cannot rely on any force to support his independent thinking. He can only maintain a solitary and detached stance, like a true prophet in religious legends, preserving the happiness and dignity of the elves amidst the power struggles between various parties.
After all, one should never entrust one's ideals to others.
Good intentions gone wrong is a human's forte—whether it's the unwieldy Pokémon League or the extreme Team Plasma, both can confuse means with ends in their pursuit of victory, turning their original good intentions toward Pokémon into madness that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
"Using any means necessary..."
N suddenly recalled the anger he felt when he was in the wilderness of Liyong City, preparing to lead wild Pokémon to attack the city—
Looking back now, was I really too extreme back then? Even if N could use his inner voice and commands to precisely plan the movement routes of each Pokémon, as that excellent detective assistant said, such a large-scale parade would definitely create a huge gap between the residents and the Pokémon... But would standing by and being indifferent to reality be a better choice?
Whenever N thinks about these problems, he feels as if he is standing on the edge of an abyss. Even the most complex mathematical problems seem like simple arithmetic compared to this game of fighting against the world.
The incident in Rikyu City has been resolved smoothly. Team Plasma has voluntarily claimed responsibility for attacking and destroying the power plant as punishment for William's mistreatment of Pokémon. Intimidated by Team Plasma's violent intimidation, the treatment of Pokémon in Rikyu City's industrial enterprises will undoubtedly improve in the short term. The only price to pay is his own negligible freedom...
But how many times can such a tightrope walk of compromise be repeated?
"Justice cannot be demanded or bargained for bit by bit. Justice must be seized at all costs, even if it means destroying the world!"
Beneath the black and white baseball cap bearing his lengthy full name, Quixote's resounding admonitions began to echo in N's mind once more. But now, does this statement seem open to debate?
……
Just as the opposing ideas were locked in a fierce battle in the green-haired youth's mind, N suddenly felt a physical dizziness.
N was as if he had been slammed against the hard bulkhead by a tremendous force, and then thrown to the center of the cabin by his own inertia, landing on his back. Fortunately, the carpet was soft and there was no furniture in the room, so he was not hurt.
Zoroark was also suddenly awakened. This sensitive and suspicious Pokémon instantly sprang to its feet and subconsciously used the "Illusion" ability, disappearing into the air.
It only breathed a sigh of relief when it saw N calmly stand up again, and then its red and black form reappeared.
What exactly happened? This is just a simple physics question.
The green-haired youth glanced at the scenery outside the porthole to determine his direction. Having already guessed the situation outside, he turned to Zoroark and said—
"The yacht we're on is turning around and speeding up; something must have happened."
N walked towards the cabin door without hesitation and steadily moved forward on the ship, which was clearly shaking.
The door wasn't locked from the inside, so it seemed there wasn't an intrusion. Otherwise, whether it was an intruder or Smura and his group, they would have sealed the door to this central cabin immediately—N felt a little relieved.
As he opened the door and stepped onto the deck, the first thing he felt was the ear-splitting low-pitched roar of the diesel electric motor. Looking up, he saw that the yacht, which had been sailing north along the United States coast, was now accelerating southward in the opposite direction.
What exactly caused Smura and the Dark Trio to change course? And what happened that led them to increase their speed without even giving us prior notice?
With doubts in mind, N, accompanied by Zoroark, arrived at the yacht's control room, where three modern ninjas dressed in black ninja outfits were busy at work, manipulating various instruments on the control panel with their six hands as if performing acrobatics.
Behind the Iron Triangle, in a corner of the control room, Smura, one of the Seven Sages, slumped to the ground, looking utterly dejected.
What exactly happened?
N was even more puzzled.
In his view, even if the total number of people in the cult were reduced by four-fifths overnight, this old man, as unfathomable as the coffin of death, would not be so distraught.
What could have possibly driven this sage, who was so focused on "propaganda," to such a state of despair?
Could it be that something happened to Father Quixes?
N couldn't help but make such a rebellious guess, which startled even himself.
"It's N."
The old man raised his eyelids and saw the King of Plasma Clusters entering the control room. He struggled to stand up and made a gesture of respect.
"I apologize for not informing you in advance before accelerating. We just received some very serious news from headquarters. Given the current situation, we have no choice but to change course immediately."
"What happened?" N asked succinctly, staring at the old man in front of him.
"Your Majesty, a tremendous change has occurred. There is a cruel reality now, and if I could, I would gladly bear this truth for you, but I must tell you now..."
Smura's face looked older than ever before, and after a long pause, he stammered on, "..."
"Your Majesty, the Plasma Corps, which has been loyal to you for the past twenty years, will probably be disbanded soon."