Chapter 37: The Thunderstone Necklace
Chapter 37: The Thunder Stone Necklace
Unlike the cramped confines of the classic red-and-white Poké Balls, the interior of this specially crafted Poké Ball, as Lu Yun perceived it, was astoundingly spacious.
It was a room of about fifty square meters, the open floor covered in a thick, gray velvet carpet, with a faintly visible dark purple emblem resembling a black hole—the “Dark Star”—in the center. On the ceiling, a semi-spherical lamp cast a gentle, warm light, imbuing the space with a subtle sense of coziness.
The walls remained semi-transparent, as before, but now the outside scenery was even clearer. At the far end of the room rested a massive yellow tuft, reminiscent of a bed. From afar, one could spot tiny sparks of electricity occasionally dancing upon it.
Lu Yun marveled in awe, taking a deep breath.
“Hm?”
A tingling sensation washed over him, causing his brow to arch. The air inside the Poké Ball seemed to brim with an abundance of electric energy.
Afraid it was only his imagination, Lu Yun, still skeptical, drew in another slow breath of the Poké Ball’s air.
“Just as I thought!”
His eyes lit up. For some unknown reason, the proportion of electric energy in the air here was three to four times higher than outside.
Like a fish in water, a pleasant, tingling numbness radiated throughout his body, and Lu Yun shivered with contentment.
“So refreshing!”
His estimation of this Poké Ball rose another notch.
“Ding!”
A crisp system notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
“Oh?”
Lu Yun, a little surprised, opened the system.
“Experience +1”
“…”
“What’s this…”
The sudden increment in his experience bar startled him.
Could it be that such an environment, so rich in electric energy, could actually grant me experience at my current stage?
“Does that mean I could simply lie here and level up?”
Delight welled up in his heart, and a smile crept onto his lips. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that hard work was still more important and dismissed the unrealistic thought.
He began to explore the room with the curiosity of a country bumpkin entering a grand estate, examining everything with wide eyes and wandering hands.
Unfortunately, after some exploration, Lu Yun discovered that the only piece of furniture in the room was the giant tuft.
He wasn’t disappointed, though. Compared to the red-and-white ball’s environment, this was a world apart. If the old one was a shabby cottage, this was a luxurious villa.
Besides, the purpose of a Poké Ball was to provide rest for Pokémon. Filling it with clutter or training equipment would only defeat its original intent.
Standing in the open room, hands on his hips, Lu Yun turned his gaze to the yellow tuft.
His bright, lively eyes sparkled with mischief.
He broke into a run, his short legs carrying him toward the tuft. Two steps away, he bent his knees, pushed off with his thighs, and leapt forward.
In midair, like a drifting leaf, Lu Yun stretched out his limbs into a star shape and landed gently.
“Puff!”
A soft sound issued forth, and delicate sparks of electricity danced where he landed.
Lu Yun felt himself sink into a sea of softness, warmth enveloping him, threaded through with a faint electric tingle.
A dense concentration of electric energy wrapped around him, waves of tingling pleasure coursing through his body.
“Ah~”
A moan of comfort escaped his lips.
He had thought this was just an ordinary tuft for resting, never expecting it to conceal such wonders.
His appreciation for the Poké Ball grew; its designer must be a genius.
Lu Yun rolled about in the tuft with abandon, relishing the comfort.
Suddenly, something hard jabbed him as he rolled, bringing a jolt of pain.
He frowned, reaching down with his pink arm to grope through the tuft.
His hand closed around something solid.
“Got it!”
He’d found the culprit. With a strong tug, he yanked it free.
A dazzling necklace, trailing brilliant electric arcs, was pulled from the tuft.
The silvery-white chain glimmered with a faint light, intricate and exquisite engravings dazzling the eye. At the front hung a radiant, pale green jadeite, about the size of an adult’s palm, shaped like a diamond and edged with a hint of sharpness. Delicate currents danced intermittently across its surface.
When he shook it, a swishing noise came from within the jadeite, as if liquid moved inside. But a closer look revealed that the “liquid” was in fact a potent plasma formed from highly condensed currents.
Lu Yun stared in a daze, never imagining he’d fish out such a treasure.
As he held the exquisite necklace, the jade pendant dangling, it resembled a rose with thorns—a seductive allure tinged with danger emanated from it.
A strange, almost spiritual scent seemed to drift through the air, and Lu Yun couldn’t help but gulp.
He reached out tentatively with his mental energy toward the pale green jadeite.
A surge of gentle, dewy electric energy shivered violently in response, and a sharp pain stabbed through his mind, bouncing his half-extended spiritual probe back.
“This intensity…”
The pain snapped him back to clarity. He realized that this jadeite, so reminiscent of the Thunder Stone from his previous life’s games, was likely the reward for his current mission. The electric energy it contained was formidable—far beyond his present capabilities. To force it might lead to disastrous consequences.
“But since it’s a reward from ‘Dark Star,’ surely they would have considered this?”
A hint of regret flickered in his eyes as he pondered.
Suddenly, the silvery-white chain caught the light, a flash reflecting in his eyes.
A thought struck him. Since “Dark Star” had fashioned this Thunder Stone into a necklace, why not try wearing it?
He didn’t believe that “Dark Star” had made such a priceless Thunder Stone into a necklace just for appearance’s sake.
With utmost care, Lu Yun pinched the spherical clasp at the end of the necklace.
A squeeze, a pull—
Click!
A clear metallic snap, and the closely linked necklace came undone.
Fully alert, Lu Yun held the necklace and reached behind his neck, ready to toss it aside at the first sign of danger.
But it slid on smoothly; the silvery chain shimmered with a gentle white light, like a stream flowing into a mighty river. The moment it touched the fluffy fur at his neck, it melted in.
The diamond-shaped Thunder Stone pendant, as if by destiny, settled itself snugly against his chest.
Crackling currents began to spread from the Thunder Stone.