Reading settings
he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_072_en
Chapter 72
Chapter 72: The Ghost Marowak
After the interruption, Green seemed to have lost the will to pay his respects and prepared to leave the Pokémon Tower.
"Something seems restless upstairs."
He offered this casual reminder before quickly vanishing into the thick fog.
In truth, there was no need for him to say that. In this world, there was likely nothing that could stop their advance. Red didn't pay it any mind.
It didn't matter. Even if Giovanni himself were up there, Red could still overwhelm him.
Ash regained control of his body and began searching through the thick fog for the stairs to the fourth floor.
Seeing Cubone's increasingly agitated expression, he figured their target was on the fourth floor. Meanwhile, the spoils of war Mr. Fuji had promised him were on the top floor, the fifth floor. Ash grabbed Cubone and quickened his pace.
Pokémon Tower, fourth floor.
Within the fog.
A lanky young man with dyed purple hair was wandering around. A single, elegant, upturned lock of hair stood on his forehead, and he had a pair of dead-fish eyes and a somewhat sleazy expression. He also sported a small purple goatee.
Though called a young man, he wasn't that young—around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a mature and greasy look.
He wore a flashy black uniform with a large 'R' emblazoned on the chest.
Following behind him was a grunt-like underling, dressed in the standard black uniform of a low-level Team Rocket member. A black hat covered most of his face as he stood respectfully behind the man.
Lambda asked slowly, his voice somewhat effeminate:
"Little Black, what do you think? Should we convert this Pokémon Tower directly into a radio station, or tear it all down and rebuild from scratch?"
"Either way is fine."
Little Black gave a bow, not daring to voice his own opinion.
The two of them, as representatives of the Rainbow Group, were conducting a site survey of the Pokémon Tower.
What's the point of burying dead people?
Just scatter the ashes into the ocean and use this empty lot to build a radio station. Wouldn't that be great?
Broadcasting the reputation of the Kanto Region's most charitable public enterprise, the Rainbow Group, and the most conscientious 'green' enterprise, Team Rocket, on every radio—wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Tsk, that blockhead Archer. It's 2020 and he's still stuck robbing the rich. He has absolutely no corporate culture or depth."
Lambda shook his head and sneered with disdain.
What's the use of having so much physical cash these days?
Influence, fame, public image.
These are what's most important!
"Little Black, I think after we pull this job off, I'll probably be the boss of Team Rocket next year. What do you think?"
Little Black couldn't help but shiver. The emperor hadn't even died yet, and his general was already eyeing the throne?
"As a neutral observer, I have to agree..."
He could only reply weakly.
"Tsk, but I've heard this Pokémon Tower has been restless lately. What kind of demon or monster dares to obstruct my path to greatness?"
Lambda looked at the surrounding fog, his eyes unfriendly.
Leveling the Pokémon Tower was already part of the plan, but recently, something here seemed to be obstructing their progress. The Rainbow Group had specially dispatched a top commander like him to handle it.
Team Rocket has a total of four core executives, their status second only to their boss, Giovanni. The strength of these four is great enough to rival a region's Elite Four.
In other regions, the Pokémon League's strength is overwhelming, but in the Kanto Region, the top powers consist of one League and one Team, and the gap between them isn't that large.
"This fog is disgusting..."
Lambda casually tossed a Poké Ball. A red light flashed, and a bat-like Pokémon with wide wings and a cavernous mouth appeared. The two poison fangs by its mouth glinted menacingly.
"Golbat, use Defog!"
Golbat flapped its wings, and a strange power spread across the area, quickly clearing away the dense surrounding fog. At once, the fourth floor of the Pokémon Tower became clear and visible.
This wasn't some HM slave; it was just a normal move it knew.
"I see it. The stairs to the fifth floor..."
As the fog dissipated, the empty grave mounds were all revealed. A staircase leading upwards was located in the corner of a room.
A cold smile appeared on Lambda's face as he slowly walked forward with Little Black.
But before he could get close, gusts of ghostly wind suddenly blew, and the dense fog rolled in once more, this time concentrating in a three-meter radius around the staircase.
The next second, dark aura in the fog condensed, gradually forming a half-man-sized black shadow. Its specific form was indistinct, its edges trembled, and it appeared highly unstable.
But the whistling, cold intent and the faint, terrifying crimson aura all indicated that this mass of dark aura was anything but simple.
"It's—it's a Ghost!?"
Little Black gulped and blurted out in shock.
Not a Ghost-type Pokémon, but a real Ghost—one that survived after death through its powerful resentment.
"So this is the thing...?"
Lambda wasn't panicked in the slightest. Instead, his eyes revealed a look of someone admiring a rare treasure. His eyes turned red, as if he wanted to possess it for himself.
Ghosts aren't exactly a rare sight.
With that, he suddenly threw a Poké Ball to see if he could catch it.
*Swish*—
The Poké Ball passed right through it, having no effect.
The black technology of Poké Balls wasn't advanced enough to deal with a Ghost.
"Then let's try out our Team Rocket's black technology!"
As he spoke, Lambda snapped his fingers. Little Black understood and took a pair of mechanical glasses out of his backpack.
It wasn't like Archer's combat power detector, but more like the kind of scope used to examine jewelry, with an appearance like a pair of night-vision goggles.
One of Team Rocket's ten great black technologies: the Special Detector.
It could perceive all special existences, and Ghosts were no exception.
Lambda let out a cold laugh, put on the Special Detector, and peered through its lenses. The mysterious shadow of dark aura gradually took form in his eyes.
It had an upright, battle-ready stance, a brown body, and wore a white bone on its head that fit perfectly. In its hand, it brandished a large bone club.
However, the skull on the right side of this Ghost was cracked open, as if it had suffered a major injury while alive.
"A Marowak?"
Seeing this, Lambda's interest instantly dissipated by more than half.
Marowak wasn't considered a particularly rare Pokémon. As a Ghost, it might have had some value, but if it couldn't be caught, then it was completely useless.
However, a Marowak's skull was a rare item, just like a Slowpoke's tail. Both were expensive commodities, and Team Rocket was even involved in related operations.
He recalled that last week, while poaching on the outskirts of Lavender Town, a Marowak mother and child had escaped from his subordinates. Since the most valuable part of a Marowak is its skull, they had lost interest after it was accidentally damaged and shattered, allowing the pair to flee.
"Is it this one?"
Lambda gave a cold sneer. The next second, Golbat, understanding his intent, powerfully swung its wings, sending several strong whirlwinds flying like sharp blades.
Whirlwind Blades!
If you're dead, you should just lie down obediently! Don't even think about hindering our Team Rocket's scientific and green development!
"Gara!!"
The Ghost Marowak hurriedly swung its bone club. It had started off menacingly, but in the end, it only barely managed to block the Whirlwind Blades, and the dark aura surrounding its body was instantly diminished by more than half.
It looked at its bone club with a shocked expression, as if something had happened to its body.
"Hmph, this is our Team Rocket's black technology. How could it be so simple?"
Lambda sneered repeatedly.
The Special Detector does more than just detect.
Whatever it detects will have its power greatly weakened. That is the true purpose of this device.
Each of Team Rocket's ten great black technologies is the fruit of labor from countless brilliant researchers. None of them are ordinary items!
Lambda waved his hand and shouted, "Finish it just like that! Golbat, use Wing Attack!"
Facing the attack from the glinting wings, Marowak didn't dare to be careless. It once again swung its bone club to block the immense power of the incoming wings.
"Gara..."
But after a brief struggle, it was clearly at a disadvantage, its body constantly retreating to dodge.
"Kora!"
At this critical moment, a sharp cry suddenly came from the side. Immediately after, a small white bone club came speeding through the air, smacking Golbat on the head and forcing its offensive back.
Although it only inflicted 0 points of critical damage, it startled the bat.
"Who's there?"
Lambda quickly turned his head, a hint of anger in his eyes.
A Cubone appeared behind him, catching the returning bone club in its hand. It stood on the dilapidated floor, its small body filled with battle intent.
From behind, Ash strode forward, showing no weakness. He shouted loudly, "What foul fiend dares to harm people? Fear not, stylish sir! I am a professional ghost exorcist!"
As he spoke, Ash even pulled a paper fan out of his two-dimensional Gengar and pointed it menacingly at the ghost's dark aura behind him.
Lambda: "?"
Ghost Marowak: "?"
The Cubone at his feet: "?"
Ash's maneuver had left both friend and foe completely bewildered.
(end of chapter)
After the interruption, Green seemed to have lost the will to pay his respects and prepared to leave the Pokémon Tower.
"Something seems restless upstairs."
He offered this casual reminder before quickly vanishing into the thick fog.
In truth, there was no need for him to say that. In this world, there was likely nothing that could stop their advance. Red didn't pay it any mind.
It didn't matter. Even if Giovanni himself were up there, Red could still overwhelm him.
Ash regained control of his body and began searching through the thick fog for the stairs to the fourth floor.
Seeing Cubone's increasingly agitated expression, he figured their target was on the fourth floor. Meanwhile, the spoils of war Mr. Fuji had promised him were on the top floor, the fifth floor. Ash grabbed Cubone and quickened his pace.
Pokémon Tower, fourth floor.
Within the fog.
A lanky young man with dyed purple hair was wandering around. A single, elegant, upturned lock of hair stood on his forehead, and he had a pair of dead-fish eyes and a somewhat sleazy expression. He also sported a small purple goatee.
Though called a young man, he wasn't that young—around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a mature and greasy look.
He wore a flashy black uniform with a large 'R' emblazoned on the chest.
Following behind him was a grunt-like underling, dressed in the standard black uniform of a low-level Team Rocket member. A black hat covered most of his face as he stood respectfully behind the man.
Lambda asked slowly, his voice somewhat effeminate:
"Little Black, what do you think? Should we convert this Pokémon Tower directly into a radio station, or tear it all down and rebuild from scratch?"
"Either way is fine."
Little Black gave a bow, not daring to voice his own opinion.
The two of them, as representatives of the Rainbow Group, were conducting a site survey of the Pokémon Tower.
What's the point of burying dead people?
Just scatter the ashes into the ocean and use this empty lot to build a radio station. Wouldn't that be great?
Broadcasting the reputation of the Kanto Region's most charitable public enterprise, the Rainbow Group, and the most conscientious 'green' enterprise, Team Rocket, on every radio—wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Tsk, that blockhead Archer. It's 2020 and he's still stuck robbing the rich. He has absolutely no corporate culture or depth."
Lambda shook his head and sneered with disdain.
What's the use of having so much physical cash these days?
Influence, fame, public image.
These are what's most important!
"Little Black, I think after we pull this job off, I'll probably be the boss of Team Rocket next year. What do you think?"
Little Black couldn't help but shiver. The emperor hadn't even died yet, and his general was already eyeing the throne?
"As a neutral observer, I have to agree..."
He could only reply weakly.
"Tsk, but I've heard this Pokémon Tower has been restless lately. What kind of demon or monster dares to obstruct my path to greatness?"
Lambda looked at the surrounding fog, his eyes unfriendly.
Leveling the Pokémon Tower was already part of the plan, but recently, something here seemed to be obstructing their progress. The Rainbow Group had specially dispatched a top commander like him to handle it.
Team Rocket has a total of four core executives, their status second only to their boss, Giovanni. The strength of these four is great enough to rival a region's Elite Four.
In other regions, the Pokémon League's strength is overwhelming, but in the Kanto Region, the top powers consist of one League and one Team, and the gap between them isn't that large.
"This fog is disgusting..."
Lambda casually tossed a Poké Ball. A red light flashed, and a bat-like Pokémon with wide wings and a cavernous mouth appeared. The two poison fangs by its mouth glinted menacingly.
"Golbat, use Defog!"
Golbat flapped its wings, and a strange power spread across the area, quickly clearing away the dense surrounding fog. At once, the fourth floor of the Pokémon Tower became clear and visible.
This wasn't some HM slave; it was just a normal move it knew.
"I see it. The stairs to the fifth floor..."
As the fog dissipated, the empty grave mounds were all revealed. A staircase leading upwards was located in the corner of a room.
A cold smile appeared on Lambda's face as he slowly walked forward with Little Black.
But before he could get close, gusts of ghostly wind suddenly blew, and the dense fog rolled in once more, this time concentrating in a three-meter radius around the staircase.
The next second, dark aura in the fog condensed, gradually forming a half-man-sized black shadow. Its specific form was indistinct, its edges trembled, and it appeared highly unstable.
But the whistling, cold intent and the faint, terrifying crimson aura all indicated that this mass of dark aura was anything but simple.
"It's—it's a Ghost!?"
Little Black gulped and blurted out in shock.
Not a Ghost-type Pokémon, but a real Ghost—one that survived after death through its powerful resentment.
"So this is the thing...?"
Lambda wasn't panicked in the slightest. Instead, his eyes revealed a look of someone admiring a rare treasure. His eyes turned red, as if he wanted to possess it for himself.
Ghosts aren't exactly a rare sight.
With that, he suddenly threw a Poké Ball to see if he could catch it.
*Swish*—
The Poké Ball passed right through it, having no effect.
The black technology of Poké Balls wasn't advanced enough to deal with a Ghost.
"Then let's try out our Team Rocket's black technology!"
As he spoke, Lambda snapped his fingers. Little Black understood and took a pair of mechanical glasses out of his backpack.
It wasn't like Archer's combat power detector, but more like the kind of scope used to examine jewelry, with an appearance like a pair of night-vision goggles.
One of Team Rocket's ten great black technologies: the Special Detector.
It could perceive all special existences, and Ghosts were no exception.
Lambda let out a cold laugh, put on the Special Detector, and peered through its lenses. The mysterious shadow of dark aura gradually took form in his eyes.
It had an upright, battle-ready stance, a brown body, and wore a white bone on its head that fit perfectly. In its hand, it brandished a large bone club.
However, the skull on the right side of this Ghost was cracked open, as if it had suffered a major injury while alive.
"A Marowak?"
Seeing this, Lambda's interest instantly dissipated by more than half.
Marowak wasn't considered a particularly rare Pokémon. As a Ghost, it might have had some value, but if it couldn't be caught, then it was completely useless.
However, a Marowak's skull was a rare item, just like a Slowpoke's tail. Both were expensive commodities, and Team Rocket was even involved in related operations.
He recalled that last week, while poaching on the outskirts of Lavender Town, a Marowak mother and child had escaped from his subordinates. Since the most valuable part of a Marowak is its skull, they had lost interest after it was accidentally damaged and shattered, allowing the pair to flee.
"Is it this one?"
Lambda gave a cold sneer. The next second, Golbat, understanding his intent, powerfully swung its wings, sending several strong whirlwinds flying like sharp blades.
Whirlwind Blades!
If you're dead, you should just lie down obediently! Don't even think about hindering our Team Rocket's scientific and green development!
"Gara!!"
The Ghost Marowak hurriedly swung its bone club. It had started off menacingly, but in the end, it only barely managed to block the Whirlwind Blades, and the dark aura surrounding its body was instantly diminished by more than half.
It looked at its bone club with a shocked expression, as if something had happened to its body.
"Hmph, this is our Team Rocket's black technology. How could it be so simple?"
Lambda sneered repeatedly.
The Special Detector does more than just detect.
Whatever it detects will have its power greatly weakened. That is the true purpose of this device.
Each of Team Rocket's ten great black technologies is the fruit of labor from countless brilliant researchers. None of them are ordinary items!
Lambda waved his hand and shouted, "Finish it just like that! Golbat, use Wing Attack!"
Facing the attack from the glinting wings, Marowak didn't dare to be careless. It once again swung its bone club to block the immense power of the incoming wings.
"Gara..."
But after a brief struggle, it was clearly at a disadvantage, its body constantly retreating to dodge.
"Kora!"
At this critical moment, a sharp cry suddenly came from the side. Immediately after, a small white bone club came speeding through the air, smacking Golbat on the head and forcing its offensive back.
Although it only inflicted 0 points of critical damage, it startled the bat.
"Who's there?"
Lambda quickly turned his head, a hint of anger in his eyes.
A Cubone appeared behind him, catching the returning bone club in its hand. It stood on the dilapidated floor, its small body filled with battle intent.
From behind, Ash strode forward, showing no weakness. He shouted loudly, "What foul fiend dares to harm people? Fear not, stylish sir! I am a professional ghost exorcist!"
As he spoke, Ash even pulled a paper fan out of his two-dimensional Gengar and pointed it menacingly at the ghost's dark aura behind him.
Lambda: "?"
Ghost Marowak: "?"
The Cubone at his feet: "?"
Ash's maneuver had left both friend and foe completely bewildered.
(end of chapter)
