Chapter 29: Merg

Chapter 29: Morg

Energy cubes are a special kind of food developed in the Pokémon world according to the traits of Pokémon. They contain a wealth of nutrients, and after eating just two small ones, Lu Yun already felt a bit full.

"Alright, now that we've finished eating, let's prepare for battle."

The slender woman left these words and returned to her seat in the corner.

"Wait, something's odd about the amount of electricity this Wooloo is storing," Lin Si recalled how, while feeding Wooloo, it unconsciously discharged electrical fluctuations after consuming high-quality food, leaving her with lingering doubts.

As an elite trainer specializing in ghost-type Pokémon, Lin Si's perception had grown exceptionally keen after years of interaction with her spectral companions. Even though she hadn't raised a Wooloo before, her extensive experience told her that a Wooloo capable of emitting such powerful electric currents without realizing it was certainly unusual.

She took her phone from her pocket and opened the dedicated app for “Dark Star.”

In the Pokémon database, she searched for the keywords "Wooloo" and "powerful electric energy."

Swipe.

The results appeared.

Sure enough, this particular Wooloo had registered information in the storage database.

She tapped to see more.

[Wooloo]

Ability: Static

Strength rating: Main competitive tier

Available moves: Tackle, Growl, Electromagnetic Wave, Hidden Power (Dragon), Thunder Shock, Cotton Spore, Charge, Thunder Punch, Electromagnetic Levitate, Slam

Evaluation: Exceptional battle instinct, outstanding electric-type talent

Required points: 75/week

Lin Si's eyes lit up with interest.

"As expected, it's no ordinary Pokémon."

"A Wooloo that knows 'Electromagnetic Levitate?'"

"How fascinating..."

She couldn't help but lift her slender left leg and cross it, anticipation growing in her heart for the upcoming battle.

...

Beep!

The phone rang in Morg’s pocket.

Morg picked it up and saw that his application to enter the organization's Battle Tower had been approved, and he felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his chest.

Although he'd already participated last year and performed well, this special event—which is held only once a year and lasts less than a month—always left him uncertain about his chances of acceptance.

After all, the Battle Tower's venue was small, and only a limited number of members were allowed entry. Those who passed the application were usually trainees in urgent need of battle experience: either highly gifted or backed by influential connections.

"Looks like I'm recognized as a genius trainer within the organization now!"

He chuckled to himself.

Knowing he had no powerful connections, Morg realized he was considered a promising talent in the organization, and this brought him a quiet sense of satisfaction.

He returned to his room, packed his luggage, and set out following the address sent to him by the organization.

...

The azure sky was dotted with wispy clouds, and the blazing sunlight poured down.

On the vast tarmac stood a solitary, enormous jet painted in pure black.

Morg felt the glare of the sun and instinctively pressed down the visor of his sun hat.

"Morg! You're participating in the Battle Tower again this year?"

"Didn’t you do pretty well last year?"

A companion, whom Morg had just met in the lobby, asked casually.

"I caught a new Pokémon, so naturally, I need to find an opportunity to train it."

"You know, members like me, focused on research, rarely get a chance for real combat training. I can't pass up this opportunity."

"True enough!"

The companion nodded in agreement and said no more.

The group lined up to board the plane. Unlike ordinary passenger aircraft with rows of seats, the “Dark Star” organization’s transport jet was divided into small rooms. Though this reduced the number of passengers on each flight, it greatly enhanced comfort and security—a crucial consideration for an organization made up mostly of elite trainers.

After a brief exchange with his traveling companions, Morg returned to his private room. He had little interest in social interaction.

Soon, after a gentle jolt, the plane took off.

Morg sat by the window, resting his head against the glass, watching the scenery unfold outside.

First, endless mountain ranges streamed past; then the terrain opened up into plains. From above, he could just make out Pokémon running and playing freely across the land. Finally, as his view narrowed to a vast blue sea, Morg closed his eyes and took a short nap.

Buzz...

He didn't know how much time had passed. A faint vibration woke him, and Morg opened his eyes.

He glanced outside and saw the plane had landed. He gathered his belongings and disembarked.

Together with his fellow members, guided by an organizational escort, Morg passed through layers of complex, stringent security checks before arriving at a secret underground base.

Although the Dark Star Battle Tower was called a "tower," it was, in reality, an underground facility. The term "tower" was used to describe the challenge of ascending through tier after tier, each demanding its own test.

After all, “Dark Star” was a shadowy organization hidden beneath the light. Building a conspicuous structure above ground would be far too eye-catching.

Of course, Morg had already been here last year, so none of this surprised him.

He took a small tablet from the staff, which contained his route for "tower climbing," and strode deeper into the base.

Though only a limited number of trainers entered each year, they still added up to nearly a hundred. Therefore, the Dark Star officials had set up numerous rooms guarded by Pokémon on each floor and divided the climbing routes among participants to relieve pressure from overcrowding. This also reduced the depletion of guarding Pokémon.

"Let me see... The first floor is... 1-Y."

Soon, following the route displayed on his tablet, Morg arrived at his first room.

Squeak, squeak!

A giant yellow rodent scurried about the room.

"Raticate?"

Morg’s lips curled into a relaxed smile.

"As expected, the first floor is just a warm-up stage, same as last year."

"Come out, Kirlia!"

"Kii-yah!"

The ethereal cry echoed in the empty room.

...

Slicing through opponents like a hot knife through butter, Morg cleared two floors in less than twenty minutes, including transit time.

"Next floor... 3-C."

"I remember the third floor is the first minor challenge, right?"

Having experienced last year, Morg knew that every third floor in the Battle Tower featured a stronger guardian Pokémon.

But he wasn’t worried. This was only the third floor; while it posed some difficulty, for the organization’s elite trainees, such a challenge was barely a warm-up.

"If I can't clear the third floor, I might as well quit now."

Shaking off such unrealistic thoughts, Morg pushed the door open with force.

Crackle!

Golden electricity flashed before his eyes.