章 84: There's Something Off About My Pokémon [84]
Liu Shengnan lowered her head, reporting, "At the time, everyone's attention was focused on the award ceremony, which led to lapses in security. Also, we found suspicious transactions in the bank account of a security supervisor in the past few weeks."
Fingers tapping lightly on the desk, the man let out a sigh. "What's the damage assessment?"
"The primary damage came from the initial attack by the six Weezing and four Electrode. Fortunately, the security team was able to set up Light Screens in time. Most of the injured were civilians. In the aftermath, several trainers stepped up to protect the crowd. The estimated repair costs for the arena are around two million. There were sixty-eight minor injuries and seventeen severe injuries…"
The man suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a predatory fury, though his voice remained unnervingly calm. "Contact the hospitals. Do everything possible to help the wounded and stabilize their families."
He took a deep breath before continuing, "As for the captured Team Galactic members, I don't care what methods the Criminal Investigation Department has to use—make them talk."
Liu Shengnan remained silent, bowing her head as the man spoke again, his tone unyielding. "And keep this incident under control. We don't need a public panic."
"Yes, sir!" Liu Shengnan responded sharply.
The man hesitated, then asked, "Those kids who won the awards... they weren't hurt, were they?"
Recalling the exceptional performance of Lu Cheng and the others, Liu Shengnan nodded. "They all stayed behind to help. Only the champion, Lu Cheng, suffered minor injuries."
"Good." The man nodded. "Send them a token of appreciation through private channels. You decide what's appropriate."
With that, he slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses, speaking slowly, "I want to go see those kids for myself."
---
Three days had passed since the explosion at the arena. Lu Cheng, under the guise of "recovering at home," hadn't gone to school. For three days, he'd scoured the internet, searching for updates on the explosion. Yet, to his surprise, not a single media outlet covered the incident. The most direct headline merely read: "Equipment Failure Causes Unexpected Explosion at U20 Arena."
As for his championship win, only a brief news snippet mentioned it—barely a mention, just the names of the finalists. Frustrated, Lu Cheng logged into the Jiang City Pokémon forum, only to find that all recent discussion threads had been locked down.
Clutching his phone tightly, Lu Cheng felt completely lost.
At that moment, his bedroom door opened. His parents stepped inside, concern evident on their faces. "Chengcheng, you've been in your room all day. Are you alright?" his mother asked gently.
Forcing a smile, Lu Cheng said, "I'm fine."
"The doctor said your back injury will take a month to fully heal, so take it easy," his father reminded him, worry in his eyes.
As he looked at his concerned parents, Lu Cheng felt a surge of relief that they had not been harmed. But at the same time, he thought of the many other parents and children who had been injured—or even killed—in the explosion. A wave of darkness washed over him.
Seeing their son's downcast expression, his parents sighed and quietly left the room.
On the bookshelf sat his U20 Championship trophy. It should have been a source of pride, but Lu Cheng couldn't summon a hint of joy.
"Wang Yingjie…" he muttered, clenching his fists.
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello?"
"Five o'clock. The park near your house. I'll be waiting for you," a deep voice said on the other end.
Lu Cheng thought it was a prank call and was about to hang up when the man added, "I'm an old comrade of your grandfather, Lu Wanqian."
Hearing his grandfather's name, Lu Cheng froze. "Who are you?" he asked cautiously.
"I know you have questions about the West Lake Arena incident," the man said. "I believe you'll get your answers soon."
The call ended abruptly.
Lu Cheng glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 4:30. The explosion at the arena had revealed the darker side of this world to him. Trainers didn't just command Pokémon; they held in their hands what could be deadly weapons. If those weapons were turned against civilians, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Recalling how his system had allowed his Pokémon to automatically release themselves to protect him, Lu Cheng gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He would go to the park.
---
"So you finally came," a man wearing dark sunglasses greeted Lu Cheng in the park. He was tall and imposing, and despite the sunglasses, Lu Cheng could see a scar running from his brow down his face.
Lu Cheng studied the man warily, saying nothing.
"Let me introduce myself," the man said with a grin. "I was a comrade of your grandfather's. Name's Guo Zhang. But you can also call me by my nickname—'Houndoom.'"
The pressure emanating from the man made Lu Cheng uneasy, and he frowned. "I just want to know what happened with the explosion at the arena."
Guo Zhang's eyes sharpened as he dropped his smile. "Have you ever heard of Team Galactic?"
Lu Cheng shook his head in confusion.
"They're an organization that first surfaced three years ago," Guo Zhang explained. "They follow that old, worn-out ideology of personal worship, but somehow, they gained a massive following. We thought we'd wiped them out three years ago during a major crackdown, but they've surfaced again this year."
Lu Cheng's brow furrowed. "Those people with the Weezing and Electrode... they were trainers, weren't they?"
Guo Zhang sighed. "Yes, and that's what makes Team Galactic so dangerous. Most underground organizations are just made up of regular civilians; they don't require intervention from the Pokémon Association. But Team Galactic specifically targets trainers for recruitment."
"Trainers?" Lu Cheng asked, puzzled. "But if they're trainers, their Pokémon should be registered, right?"
Guo Zhang's face twisted into a grim smile. "Technically, yes. But Team Galactic's Pokémon come from all sorts of sources—poaching, smuggling, even outright theft. They use technology and drugs to manipulate and control the Pokémon."
"They claim it's all about 'providing more people the right to own Pokémon.'"
Lu Cheng remained silent. Ordinary people could own Pokémon, but they were usually limited to using them for practical tasks. For example, Lu Cheng's father had a Magmar whose flames were only strong enough to cook meals or warm the house in winter. But the members of Team Galactic were all trainers, which meant their Pokémon were capable of battle.
To some extent, trainers were like walking weapons.
The thought sent a chill down Lu Cheng's spine.
"I'm here because I want to invite you to join the Security Division," Guo Zhang said, his tone sincere. "I saw how well you handled yourself during the incident. And as the U20 Champion, you have more than enough skill and qualifications to join us."
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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