https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-234-Utopia-The-Scarlet-Book-Attempting-to-Tame-/12537286/
Chapter 235: Arrival at the Zero-Zone Laboratory! New Possibilities?
Chapter 235: Arrival at the Zero-Zone Laboratory! New Possibilities?
Naoki gazed at the Howling Tail from a distance. "Taming Paradox Pokemon seems to be far more difficult than I imagined," he mused. "Not only are they inherently ferocious and aggressive, but they also lack the ability to communicate and understand me like normal Pokemon."
Was there any other way besides subduing it through force?
Then, Naoki recalled the Reversal World water he had obtained from Giratina, which he had used to create a series of inverted dishes.
However, a new problem arose. While he had the Reversal dishes to invert Howling Tail's temperament, Giratina had quickly returned to its original state after consuming the dish. Did this imply that the effect of the dish was not permanent?
If he were to capture Howling Tail, temporarily reverse its temperament, and make it docile, what would happen if one day, when he least expected it, Howling Tail reverted to its innate nature?
Naoki was not willing to take that risk. After a moment of hesitation, he signaled to Garchomp to hold tight, and he strode forward to give Howling Tail a thorough pat down. Only after he had satisfied his craving did he release Howling Tail and send it back out of its Poke Ball.
Howling Tail let out a low growl, baring its teeth menacingly.
In response, Garchomp let out a mighty roar, and its terrifying aura swept towards Howling Tail like a gust of wind.
Instinctively, Howling Tail turned and fled, soon disappearing from sight.
Garchomp, seeing this, breathed a sigh of relief. It had never seen that Pokemon on the ranch before!
Naoki, on the other hand, walked over to his Baboong and stroked its gentle and obedient nature, reflecting, "Modern Pokemon are indeed more adorable!"
Baboong relished the sensation of having its fur smoothed and couldn't help but tilt its head back in enjoyment.
At this, the nearby Pidgeot also approached and joined in, eager for some attention.
"Alright, pets for everyone!"
Naoki began to give each of his Pokemon a simple massage.
After a brief rest at the Second Observation Station, they continued on their journey.
This time, Naoki did not proceed on foot but mounted Garchomp, intending to ride it straight through the Paritia Pit to the deepest part, the Zero-Zone.
Garchomp descended swiftly, the wind rushing past as the scenery changed rapidly around them.
The deeper they went, the darker it became, with caves and cliffs visible on all sides, and towering waterfalls plunging from above. For a moment, Naoki felt as though he had entered another world.
At the same time, the quantity and size of the peculiar crystals increased at a visible rate until Garchomp landed on a massive crystal pillar.
From this vantage point, Naoki could see the human-made structures standing below—undoubtedly the research institute established by the two professors in the Zero-Zone.
"Let's go!" Naoki said, urging Garchomp forward.
Garchomp turned and surveyed their surroundings, its expression becoming somewhat dejected, as if it didn't particularly like this place.
However, seeing Naoki's back as he walked ahead, it reluctantly followed.
"As in the game, the Zero-Zone is filled with crystals," Naoki remarked, taking in the surroundings.
It was impossible for sunlight to reach this depth, and yet, strangely, the vast cavity was bright and spacious.
Undeniably, the source of this illumination was the colorful crystals embedded in the ground and walls, their radiance lighting up the entire bottom of the giant pit.
As they continued forward, they began to encounter Pokemon rarely seen in the outside world—a species known as "Crystal Buds" and "Crystal Blooms."
They blossomed upon the crystals, appearing both mysterious and beautiful.
The number of Crystal Blooms was staggering, their roots clinging tightly to the crystals as if they had sprouted from within.
As Naoki and Garchomp walked past, the Crystal Blooms gently fluttered their petals.
"Beautiful, shimmering crystals giving rise to Crystal Blooms with deadly poisons... It's quite an eerie sight," Naoki remarked, a chill running down his spine.
He deliberately detoured around the Crystal Blooms and made his way to a winding downward cave entrance.
A signpost stood at the entrance, indicating that the institute could be reached by passing through this passage.
"Alright, the rest of the way should be safe!"
Finally arriving at this point, Naoki couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It was... a future breed of Ferrothorn?!
Naoki froze for a moment, and at the same time, the Ferrothorn noticed him, fixing its cold and unemotional metallic eyes on him.
Unexpectedly, the Ferrothorn didn't immediately launch an attack like Howling Tail had done.
It stood motionless, watching them from a distance, its gaze following Naoki as he moved.
"Just as the records stated, Ferrothorn has an extremely calm temperament and doesn't engage in pointless battles..." Naoki muttered to himself.
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from not far away.
Naoki turned to see Professor Forte walking towards him, clad in a white lab coat.
He smiled at Naoki and said, "I saw your figure on the surveillance from the Zero-Zone, so I came to greet you. It's nice to meet you, Naoki. Come, I'll take you and Gorledon to the research institute."
Naoki glanced at the Ferrothorn once more before stepping forward to walk alongside Professor Forte. As he turned, he noticed that the Ferrothorn's gaze was still following his movements.
Noticing Naoki's attention, Professor Forte explained, "That Pokemon is called Ferrothorn. Its behavior pattern is quite different from the Roar of the Moon you encountered before."
"This Ferrothorn has an extremely calm temperament and doesn't engage in pointless battles. It's a highly intelligent and smart Pokemon."
"Currently, we've found some ways to coexist peacefully with it, so it has been staying in the Zero-Zone for a while."
"Coexist peacefully?" Naoki was astonished, having witnessed the savage nature of the ancient species firsthand—the wild Howling Tail driven by its hunting instincts and the Ufo-like Iron Moth observing the Pikachu.
"Coexist peacefully?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes!" Professor Forte nodded. "But it's not easy to achieve. Before you arrived, we had a hard time proving our harmlessness to it, and we had to regularly feed it to make it accept our presence."
Naoki was taken aback. "Then why not the ancient species?"
Professor Forte thought for a moment before answering, "It's possibly due to the primal and innate ferocity inherent in the ancient species. This ferocity makes them wild and difficult to tame."
"Compared to the ancient species, the future species don't possess such wildness. However, the unknown power within them has evolved to an extreme, and their thoughts and intentions are filled with uncertainty."
"For us, they are no less dangerous than the ancient species."
"For example, there's a Pokemon called Iron Bag. It doesn't attack people, but it uses its bag to alter the environment, turning the surroundings into an icy wasteland."
Naoki's heart, scarred by his encounter with the ancient species, suddenly felt a warmth. His eyes lit up as he asked, "So, I can capture future species Pokemon without worrying about them attacking me?"
"Just some of them," Professor Forte said with a smile.
Then, as if he had remembered something, his expression turned serious. "Also, if you ever come across a Pokemon that resembles Shaymin and Xerneas, never make eye contact with it! Such behavior will be seen as a provocation, and its temperament is extremely violent. In that situation, it will not hesitate to slash at you with its blades."
At this point, Professor Forte's face took on a relieved expression. "I'm glad it doesn't know the move 'Teleport,' or I wouldn't be standing here before you now."
"That violent, huh?" Naoki whistled.
"We didn't expect that either," Professor Forte said bitterly.
As they spoke, the two of them, accompanied by Gorledon, arrived at the research institute.
It was then that Naoki realized there were more researchers here than just Professor Forte and Professor Olin. Several other individuals in white lab coats were present as well.
At that moment, two researchers standing at the entrance, equipped with telescopes and notebooks, were observing the distant Ferrothorn.
Their voices were filled with excitement. "Ohh! Look at the eyes of that Ferrothorn! It looks so rational and intelligent! As expected of a Pokemon from a distant future era!"
"Yes! The technology in that era must be far more advanced than ours!"
Hearing their footsteps, the two researchers immediately lowered their telescopes and respectfully called out, "Professor!"
"Indeed."
Just before the doors closed, he heard the two researchers murmur:
"That Gorledon must be Number One, huh?"
"I can't believe Gorledon can be so well-behaved. It really likes that guy!"
"Yeah! But Gorledon and Miltank are really special, unlike the other Paradox Pokemon. Otherwise, the doctor wouldn't have been able to establish a relationship with them so quickly."
Gradually, their voices faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard.
Naoki felt a bit nervous as he entered such a place for the first time. He turned his head and noticed that Gorledon was also tense.
Naoki rarely saw Gorledon like this, and he immediately relaxed, reaching out to pat Gorledon's head and mouthing the words, "Don't be afraid!"
Gorledon didn't make a sound, but it rubbed its head against the palm of his hand.
At that moment, Dr. Forte led them into an enormous room.
The room was filled with various green vegetation, and a winding river snaked through the trees.
Flowers bloomed on the grass, and an artificial sun hung from the ceiling, providing light and warmth to the plants.
It was like a small ecological garden!
The area extended far into the distance, but Naoki noticed a distinct boundary not too far away and guessed that it was created using special projections.
Dr. Olin stood on the grass, not far from them.
And just in front of her was a purple-blue Pokemon with a calm and cold demeanor.
It was... Miltank!
As if sensing something, Miltank's pupils twitched, and it quickly locked onto Gorledon, who had suddenly appeared.
Upon seeing Miltank, Gorledon became alarmed, and it glared at Miltank with hostility, letting out a roar, "Agassi!"
Miltank's expression didn't change at all; it looked like a lifeless, emotionless mechanical creature.
However, the faint current of electricity on its claws revealed its true intentions.
Just as the two Pokemon were about to fight, Naoki quickly intervened, "Gorledon, stop!"
Dr. Olin also stepped forward, reaching out to Miltank while soothingly explaining, "This one is not an enemy. It lives far away and won't compete with you for this territory."
Miltank's pupils twitched, and the electricity on its claws vanished.
Hearing Naoki's voice, Gorledon also calmed down, looking dejected and pitiful.
Naoki couldn't help but pat it comfortingly, "It's alright now."
For some reason, the interaction between Gorledon and Miltank reminded him of a golden retriever quarreling with a standoffish cat.
Gorledon's tension gradually eased.
Naoki stood up and looked toward the opposite side.
Dr. Olin smiled and greeted him, "Welcome to Paradise, Naoki."
"It's been a while, Dr. Olin," Naoki politely asked, "How is Papaiya doing?"
Dr. Olin nodded gently, "Ever since the last time we had dinner at your place, Papaiya's relationship with us has improved a lot. He should be at the lighthouse in Little Spoon Town, taking care of Father Hound."
"Alright, let's not stand here and chat," Dr. Forte glanced at the time and said from the side, "It's 5:10 now. Let's go have dinner, and after that, I'll take you to your accommodation."
"Thank you very much," Naoki said politely.
Before leaving the ecological garden, he turned back to look at Miltank once more.
This Miltank was different from any other paradox Pokemon he had encountered. It seemed to have completely adapted to humans and this world.
Dr. Olin handed over her work to Dr. Forte and then led Naoki to the dining area.
Along the way, she slowly spoke, "I deeply regret what happened to you on your journey, but I hope you won't view all paradox Pokemon through that lens."
Naoki was taken aback.
Dr. Olin continued in a gentle tone, "They are just adjusting to this unfamiliar environment and haven't yet adapted to our world and way of life."
"But I believe that one day, they will fit in perfectly, just like Gorledon and Miltank, and live harmoniously with us."
(End of Chapter)
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