Chapter 702: What a Huge Trouble!

Chapter 702: What a Huge Trouble! (Merged, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

The next day.

Ulua Island.

This is the largest island in Alola. From a distance, you can see two towering peaks, both covered in thick snow. Besides the mountains, the island also boasts deserts, forests, and towns.

One of these peaks is Mount Lanakila, the highest mountain in Alola. It is the chosen site for the future headquarters of the Alola League by Dr. Kukui.

The other is Mount Hokulani, home to the famous Hokulani Observatory, the only observatory in Alola. Its owner is Mallow’s cousin, one of the future Elite Four of Alola, Male.

“Hold off on the photos, Rotom. There are Wailords ahead!”

A few Wailords, resembling small hills, leisurely swam past in the sea before them.

Rotom immediately stopped taking photos and focused on steering the speedboat.

In Alola, Wailords are also excellent sea “vehicles.” The Pokémon school even offers specialized courses for riding Wailords.

“Maybe not today, but next time we can borrow one from Dr. Kukui.”

Riding a speedboat has its own fun, allowing Jinghe to enjoy the thrill of surfing at the back. Riding a Wailord, however, offers a different kind of experience.

“Approaching the destination, Rotom!”

Although Alola consists of four islands, the distances between them are not great. They quickly arrived at a port on Ulua Island.

However, this port, compared to the port in Hau'oli City on Melemele Island, seemed much more dilapidated. They had arrived at Poni Port.

“Switch the map to Ulua Island, Rotom.”

After tying up the speedboat at the port, Jinghe said.

“Understood, Rotom! Current location: Poni Town!”

Poni Town was once a well-known, upscale town on Ulua Island, primarily consisting of standalone villas for the wealthy. But now, Poni Town has fallen into disrepair. The tall walls surrounding the town are covered with chaotic graffiti.

This decline can be attributed to a gang in Alola, the Skull Gang!

For the Skull Gang, Jinghe’s evaluation is that they are the only group that can rival the A-Team in terms of how embarrassing they are. Describing them as a “gang” is the best way to put it. Even calling them an “evil organization” feels like an insult to Team Rocket.

Their leader, who has the nickname “The Indomitable King,” is none other than Guzma, who has crossed paths with Jinghe before!

Guzma and Dr. Kukui were both students of Hala, the Island Kahuna of Melemele Island. However, Guzma’s strength is far inferior to Dr. Kukui’s.

He is probably a bit stronger than some Gym Leaders but falls short of the Elite Four.

With a leader of such caliber, the Skull Gang is not particularly strong, just a bunch of thugs.

Jinghe feels that Daiya alone could easily crush this so-called Skull Gang.

But the trouble with thugs is that even if they can’t beat you, they can certainly annoy you.

This is why Poni Town, once a thriving place, has now become the Skull Gang’s territory.

“Clearly a show aimed at kids, with such a weak and ineffective villain group, yet it has a super-scale Mythical Pokémon crisis like Necrozma. How illogical is that?”

Jinghe muttered to himself as he disembarked from the speedboat.

However, as soon as Jinghe stepped off the boat, two Skull Gang members, wearing white headscarves, black masks, and sporting punk fashion, approached him with a cocky attitude.

“Hey!” One of them showed off a Poké Ball and said, “Parking here costs one thousand League Coins!”

Clearly, these two were assigned to watch over this dilapidated port.

One thousand League Coins?

Jinghe laughed.

He remembered playing the game and being charged at the Pokémon Center in Poni Town to heal his Pokémon. It was the first time in any Pokémon game he had played where he had to pay at a Pokémon Center.

Seeing that Jinghe wasn’t speaking but was laughing, the other Skull Gang member snapped irritably:

“What are you laughing at? Pay up if you have the money, or get lost!”

“Sure, sure,” Jinghe said with a smile.

Dealing with thugs is a hassle.

You might be able to easily defeat them here, but Jinghe can assure that within half an hour of his departure, these two would gather a group of little thugs and...

Vandalize his speedboat from top to bottom.

The first Skull Gang member gave Jinghe a “you’re smart enough to know better” look.

Then, Jinghe walked up to him and lightly tapped his outstretched palm.

“Ten thousand League Coins, no change needed.”

With that, he walked past, leaving a piece of seaweed in the man’s hand.

But the two Skull Gang members didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps they mistook the seaweed for ten thousand League Coins.

They immediately forgot about Jinghe and happily ran off.

“Gege~”

After they left, Gengar floated out from the shadows, grinning evilly.

“Yeah, you’re a lot more like a villain than they are,” Jinghe lightly slapped Gengar and chuckled, then walked toward Poni Town.

Jinghe wasn’t particularly interested in a rundown town dominated by the Skull Gang.

But there was no way around it.

After all, Muddan, the Island Kahuna of Ulua Island, worked at the police station in Poni Town.

The streets of Poni Town were littered with garbage, and the walls and dilapidated houses around were covered with random graffiti.

Stray cats and dogs roamed everywhere, along with Alola's unique Alolan Meowth and Persian.

“Gengue~”

Gengue's eyes sparkled with excitement.

It saw the perfect breeding ground for its “outlaw squad.”

It felt a special affinity for these Alolan Meowth and Persian.

Its eyes darted around, plotting its next move.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any members of the Skull Gang on the way to the police station, which saved Jinghe a lot of trouble.

Tap, tap—

Inside the dilapidated police station, a crisp tapping sound echoed.

Pushing the door open, Jinghe saw a middle-aged man with grayish hair, wearing an old police uniform and flip-flops, lounging behind the counter, idly playing with a yoyo.

“Mr. Muddan.” Jinghe greeted with a smile.

This laid-back middle-aged man was Muddan, the Island Kahuna of Ulua Island, former International Police officer, and the boss of Lillie and Gladion.

Muddan didn't seem surprised by Jinghe's appearance.

Supporting himself on the counter with one hand and playing with the yoyo with the other, he glanced at Jinghe and said, “Here, the information you wanted.”

On the counter lay a document with messy handwriting, crumpled and slightly yellowed.

Clearly, Lillie had already informed Muddan about Jinghe's visit.

“Thank you.”

Jinghe didn't mind, picking up the document and flipping through it.

It had to be admitted that Muddan's ability, which had once allowed him to become a superintendent in the International Police, was still very strong.

Living in Alola for over a decade, he seemed lazy, but he had conducted extensive investigations into the Aether Foundation.

The information he provided, while not more detailed than what Lillie had given, included some noteworthy, less obvious details.

For instance, the president of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine, had undergone some subtle changes in her work style and principles over the years.

Muddan had noticed this.

He speculated that it might be related to her husband's disappearance.

Tap—

Muddan paused his yoyo, waving at Jinghe.

“Alright, you can leave now.”

“Huh?” Jinghe was taken aback.

Muddan shrugged, walking to a nearby recliner and said lazily, “From what I've seen online, wherever you go, trouble follows.”

Jinghe: “.”

“While I can't blame you, you definitely bring trouble, and I hate trouble.”

“Cough, cough.”

This insightful summary made Jinghe feel awkward.

Did he want to encounter trouble?

Clearly, trouble always found him!

Just as Jinghe was about to say something, he heard some commotion outside.

Muddan immediately looked at Jinghe with a blank expression, as if to say, “See?”

Jinghe wore a puzzled look.

What did this have to do with him?

Muddan sighed, got up, and opened the door.

“Old man! Can't you control your cats? They've stolen all our food!”

“Yeah, old man, don't think you're special just because you're the Island Kahuna! On Ulua Island, everything still depends on our ‘Emperor’!”

“Old man, we're talking to you!”

Outside the door stood a group of Skull Gang thugs.

On a nearby lawn, a group of gray-furred Meowth sat licking their paws, completely ignoring the yelling Skull Gang members, enjoying the spectacle.

Only when Muddan stepped out did they stand up, adopting a harmless demeanor.

They meowed softly and gathered around Muddan's feet.

This sight made the Skull Gang members fume.

If not for Muddan's protection, these wild Meowth wouldn't be so bold.

While they shouted and were rude to Muddan, they were also afraid of him.

They only acted tough because they had Guzma backing them, unwilling to lose face in front of their “Emperor.”

Muddan swung his yoyo and looked at Jinghe.

Jinghe leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, also enjoying the show.

Noticing Muddan's gaze, he grinned, raising an eyebrow as if to say, “See, who brought the trouble?”

Muddan fell silent, scratching his head in frustration.

If it weren't for the cheap housing in Poni Town, he wouldn't live here. The Skull Gang might not be powerful, but they were a troublesome group.

And he hated trouble the most.

Scratching his head again, he said to Jinghe, “If you help me with this, I'll consider it your Great Trial.”

Jinghe pouted.

“I'm not participating in any island pilgrimage.”

“I can introduce you to a guardian deity,” Muddan said.

“Tapu Fini is already arranged.”

“I can tell you about Lillie's background.”

“Fall, my clearance level gives me access to that information.”

Muddan: “.”

Why was this guy so stubborn?

Jinghe smiled. “I’m actually curious, Mr. Muddan, how you usually deal with ‘trouble.’”

He emphasized the word “trouble.”

Mudan understood that Jinghe was "responding" to his earlier words.

"I'll tell you the location of the Glacier Rock", Mudan said after a brief silence.

Jinghe raised an eyebrow.

Glacier Rock is a naturally occurring substance that functions similarly to an Ice Stone but with some differences. Some Pokémon, especially those that require an Ice Stone to evolve, have a chance to evolve without one when they get close to Glacier Rock. For many Ice-type Pokémon, Glacier Rock is quite tempting.

Glacier Rock can only be found in extremely cold regions, such as the Sky Pillar in Sinnoh and Mount Lost in Unova. Naturally, it can also be found on Mount Lanakila on Ula'ula Island. This is why many Crabrawler evolve into Crabominable after climbing Mount Lanakila.

Jinghe has a Nine-Tails, which only exists in Alola, specifically on Mount Lanakila. Mudan was certain Jinghe would go there.

"It seems you know me quite well, Mr. Mudan", Jinghe said.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned the trouble Jinghe might bring.

Mudan remained silent.

Jinghe shrugged and added, "And a Dark Stone."

Why not, right?

Mudan glared at him irritably and then said, "Take care of this group of Meowth."

This was a task he gave to Ash in the anime, a task that no one else could handle except him. Otherwise, the Skull Gang wouldn't have come looking for him.

Jinghe grinned.

"Deal."

He couldn't help but mutter, "Old fox."

Mudan, in turn, thought, "Young fox."

The Skull Gang members naturally didn't understand the exchange between Jinghe and Mudan, but being ignored by the two made their pride take a hit.

"Damn it!"

"Go, Zubat!"

"Go, Arbok!"

"Give them a taste, Hypnosis, Snorlax!"

"..."

Enraged, the Skull Gang members threw their Poké Balls, releasing a bunch of baby Pokémon like Zubat, Arbok, Alola Rattata, Alola Raticate, Spinarak, and Meowth.

Given the quality of their Pokémon, how could the Skull Gang ever be taken seriously?

Jinghe almost wanted to take back his earlier comment about Daiya wiping out the Skull Gang. This felt like an insult to Daiya. Even a small team of Rocket elites would probably have no trouble.

"Blastoise", Jinghe threw his Poké Ball.

If he had sent out Snivy, it would probably have pulled its hair out after the battle.

"Bark!"

Blastoise roared as it appeared, its feet causing the ground to shake, and it waved its arms, creating a whirlwind of sand that darkened the sky.

The Skull Gang: "..."

The Skull Gang's Pokémon: "..."

We have to fight this Blastoise?

"Quick, go get Boss Guzma!"

"Bark!!"

In no time, most of the Skull Gang's Pokémon were on the ground, not because of Blastoise's attacks, but because the Sandstorm had blown them out of battle.

"Sandstorm has become a 'trash cleaner,'" Jinghe mused, rubbing his chin.

"Bark?"

As the Sandstorm faded, Blastoise looked at Jinghe, scratching its head.

Should we keep fighting?

"Not now", Jinghe said.

"Bark."

Blastoise nodded and sat down, pulling out a pile of rocks and munching on them, "huffing" and "puffing."

Mudan's eye twitched, and he muttered, "Looks like you're not suited for Dark-type moves."

Well, he got the same evaluation as Ash from Mudan.

Jinghe shrugged, not caring.

But soon,

Surrounded by a group of Skull Gang members, the intimidating Guzma appeared at the police station's entrance. Seeing the Blastoise sitting on the ground like a small mountain, Mudan playing with a Yoyo, and Jinghe yawning, his expression darkened.

He glanced around and then turned to leave.

"Go!"

"Boss Guzma, you have to do something for us!"

"Boss Guzma?"

Guzma's face was grim.

Do something?

Hell, one of them is at least a Champion, and the other is at least an Elite Four. What can he do?

If it were only Mudan, Guzma might have stood a chance. He knew Mudan's temper well; as long as things didn't get out of hand, it would be fine.

But Teacher Jinghe?

The Galactic Team in Sinnoh, the Plasma Team in Unova, the Blaziken Squad in Kalos...

He wasn't a naive fool who knew nothing about the outside world!

"Guzma!" Jinghe suddenly called out.

Huh?

Guzma stopped, frowning as he looked back.

Jinghe said, "My ship is at the port. Could you please keep an eye on it for me? Thanks."

Guzma: "..."

He quickened his pace.

"He's so polite..."

"Could he be... a friend of Boss Guzma?"

"No wonder! No wonder Boss Guzma turned around and left. He must not want to fight his friend."

"Boss Guzma treats his friends so well, I'm ready to die for him!"

The Skull Gang came in with a bang and left with just as much flair, leaving behind only a trail of dust and a bewildered Blastoise.

Jinghe smiled lightly at Mudan, who glanced at the Meowth at his feet, his meaning clear—these Meowth were still a problem.

“Gengar.”

“Gengar~!”

Gengar immediately floated out, giving the Alolan Meowth a very “friendly” smile.

A few of the Alolan Meowth immediately bristled.

Jinghe was well aware of the situation with these Meowth.

As the saying goes: it takes a rogue to catch a rogue.

There was no one better suited to “take care” of them than Gengar.

“Gengar!!”

Gengar cackled maniacally.

The heavens have smiled upon me! I’ll establish my base of operations right here in Poni Town!

As for the Meowth’s surface politeness and hidden mischief, Gengar could outmaneuver them easily.

Before long.

At the police station.

Mudan lounged in a recliner, playing with a yoyo, while Jinghe sat in a chair, sipping coffee and reviewing documents.

Gengar strutted in, followed by a line of Meowth like a mother hen leading her chicks.

“Gengar~”

He waved his hand.

Count off!

The Alolan Meowth lined up neatly and began to count off, “Meow! Meow!”

Mudan: “.”

He looked at Gengar and the Meowth, then at Jinghe, who was smiling and reading through files, and took a deep breath.

“Alright, I take back what I said. You’re... pretty good with Dark Pokémon.”

Despite being a Ghost and Poison-type Pokémon, Gengar was the perfect fit for dealing with these Meowth.

Only Mudan, who knew the Meowth’s true nature, understood how Gengar had managed to “tame” them in just a few minutes.

This guy... doesn’t he have a knack for raising a bunch of “ruffians”? Mudan thought to himself, eyeing Jinghe.

Ding!

The door opened again.

“They’ve been so well-behaved today!”

A girl with long, purple hair and a black-and-purple dress that looked like rags, wearing golden arm bands, walked in.

Acerola!

She was now the captain responsible for the “Supermarket Site” trial in Ula'ula, and would later be recommended by Mudan to Dr. Kukui, becoming one of the first Elite Four of the Alola League!

“Teacher Jinghe?” Acerola was clearly surprised to see him.

“Acerola, Alola.”

Jinghe greeted her with a smile.

They weren’t particularly close, but they knew each other.

At the last “Junior World Championship,” Acerola had made it to the quarterfinals, only to lose to the “cheating” Gladion.

“Alola!” Acerola bowed slightly.

Her relationship with Mudan was somewhat like a mentor and student, so her presence here was no surprise to Jinghe.

A Mimikyu with a small red flower on its head peeked out from Acerola’s shoulder, eyeing Gengar cautiously.

“Gengar~” Gengar grinned and waved at it.

The Mimikyu immediately shrank back, trembling with fear.

“Later this afternoon, I might head to the Malie Library. Will you be there, Acerola?”

There were records about Necrozma in the Malie Library, and with Acerola’s help as a librarian, he could find the documents he needed more quickly.

“Sure!”

Acerola nodded, “After my lesson with Mr. Mudan, I’ll go back. I have to read stories to the children in the afternoon.”

Mudan, looking exasperated, placed an old map and a black Dark Stone on the counter.

“Here’s your map and Dark Stone. Get going,” Mudan urged.

“Eh?” Acerola tilted her head, “Dark Stone? Is Teacher Jinghe here to challenge the Island Trials?”

“Nope,” Jinghe smiled as he packed away his things.

“Then no battle?”

Mudan and Jinghe both replied at the same time, “Of course not!”

They looked at each other.

Acerola covered her mouth and giggled, “Teacher Jinghe and Mr. Mudan are so in sync.”

Jinghe: “.”

Mudan: “.”

“Let’s go, Gengar.”

“Gengar~”

Gengar waved to his newly recruited “minions,” giving them an encouraging look.

I’m off to ‘tame’ other regions. The development of the Poni Town team is in your hands!

“Meow~”

“Meow~”

The Alolan Meowth looked reluctant, following Jinghe and Gengar step by step until they left.

“I’ve never seen them so fond of anyone other than Mr. Mudan,” Acerola remarked.

She then placed a file on the counter, her eyes twinkling.

“Here’s the file you wanted, Mr. Mudan.”

As noon approached.

“Phew—”

After Acerola left, Mudan slumped back into his recliner, looking exhausted.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

Ding!

But before he could fully relax, his phone rang.

“This never ends,” Mudan grumbled as he took out his phone. He fell silent when he saw the caller ID.

He pressed the answer button.

On the other end, Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, spoke with the casual tone of an old friend, “How’s it going? Did you see him? Is he a lot like you?”

Mudan’s expression turned serious for the first time.

After a long silence, he finally said, "If it's for his own good, I advise you to keep your distance from him."

Giovanni, on the other side, also remained silent for a moment before his tone returned to its usual relaxed manner.

"Relax, Mudan. The situation now is different from what it used to be."

His tone then grew more profound, tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

"He changed me."

"Changed you?" Mudan squinted his eyes. "What does this have to do with the geological map of Mount Lanakila?"

"It's not just a rumor. Alola is planning to build something dangerous here, and it's one of our current target projects."

Team Rocket building the headquarters for the Alola League?

If it were a few years ago, Mudan would have burst out laughing at the absurdity of it.

But now...

"I've already sent it to your secretary. The rest, like bidding and design, are up to you." Mudan said.

"Thanks."

The call ended.

Mudan held his phone for a long time before muttering to himself:

"Like me? More like you."

Ding-dong—

The bicycle leisurely cruised along the road of Ulua Island.

"Left turn ahead, Rotom!"

Leaving Poni Town with what he needed, Jinghe headed straight for the Harvest Ruins, passing through the narrow path between Mount Hokulani and Mount Lanakila, bound for Haina Desert.

"Rotom, switch to desert bike mode."

"Super! Transform! Rotom!"

The Rotom bike's advantage lies in its ability to adapt to various complex terrains, whether it's mountains, deserts, or ice.

Haina Desert is vast, but fortunately, it's not very dangerous.

Apart from the abundant Dugtrio, one often sees Alolan Sandshrews with their golden, beard-like tufts of hair.

Following the navigation, he arrived at the Harvest Ruins without any obstacles.

Located deep in the desert, it's nestled in a canyon with towering rock walls on three sides. Amidst the swirling sand, a dark cave entrance lies directly ahead.

However, although Jinghe's destination is the Harvest Ruins, he has no intention of entering.

His gaze slowly traced the rock wall from bottom to top, which is at least a hundred meters high and almost vertical.

"Can this really be climbed by hand?"

The image of Ash climbing the rock wall by hand flashed in Jinghe's mind.

He shook his head.

"Superhuman."

He tossed a Poké Ball.

"Dratini!"

"Whoo~"

He flipped onto Dratini's back and soon reached the top of the rock wall.

It was a vast, flat platform covered with lush grass and a small lake.

Thanks to Tapu Fini's advance notice, finding the island guardian of Ulua Island, Tapu Bulu, should not be difficult.

Jinghe scanned the area.

"There it is!"

He quickly spotted Tapu Bulu, lying by the lake, snoring softly.

Resembling a half-cow, it has a black body, a white nose ring, golden hooves, and a red shell like a sun hat, adorned with black horns similar to a bull's.

A long black tail ends in a golden bell.

It's said that whenever its bell rings, it can make the surrounding plants grow, releasing a surge of Life Energy.

Tapu Bulu sustains itself by promoting plant growth and then drawing energy from the plants.

This ability, of using energy to stimulate plant growth and then drawing energy from the plants, is no less impressive than a perpetual motion machine.

It's also the ability Jinghe covets the most.

If his Pokémon had this ability, he wouldn't have to worry about money and could treat wealth with disdain.

To be honest.

Among the four island guardians of Alola, Jinghe is most interested in and eager to meet Tapu Bulu.

If it could circle his island once, the effect would be better than having Lycanroc with its cauliflower head.

It could not only stimulate plant growth but also make Tree Fruits bear fruit directly, making it the ultimate Mythical Beast for farming!

Tapu Bulu's personality is similar to that of the Island Kahuna, Mudan—laid-back, averse to trouble, and fond of naps.

But underestimating Tapu Bulu would be a grave mistake.

Among the four island guardians of Alola, Tapu Bulu is the only one to have shown its wrath.

In Ulua Island, there used to be a Tapu Village. Due to the villagers' disrespect for the guardian, Tapu Bulu unleashed its endless fury.

The village was destroyed, and even the nearby supermarket couldn't escape.

So,

Never provoke a seemingly harmless person, for once they are truly angry, they can be far more terrifying than most.

"Whoo~"

Dratini flapped its wings, carrying Jinghe toward the sleeping Tapu Bulu.

Snore—Snore—

Tapu Bulu, sensing someone's presence, opened one eye and looked at Jinghe, who had landed on the soft ground. Its emerald eyes were particularly calm.

"Tapu Bulu."

As Jinghe approached, he felt an inexplicable warmth and a sudden urge to yawn and take a nap, a sense of laziness and comfort.

[Help me with two tasks, and I'll agree to what Tapu Fini suggested.]

Tapu Bulu's steady, calm voice echoed in Jinghe's mind.

Hmm?

More proactive than Jinghe expected.

But two tasks?

Tapu Bulu moved its heavy body and then flopped onto the ground.

[First, scratch my back.]

Jinghe: "."

What a big task!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end