Chapter 115: Invitation to the Tokiwa Forest Festival

"I think your report is quite good; at the very least, it gives one an uncomfortable feeling just by hearing it."

It sounded like the kind of thing that would make one want to pick up a weighted ball and hit the leader speaking above with it.

Zhu Suihan put the mask back into the incense burner. "And I need to correct you on one point: I am human, not a monkey."

"But I think you are a monkey, and a very rare white-haired monkey at that."

The light in Sabrina's eyes grew increasingly piercing. "Do you know? Powerful psychics, besides being able to accurately predict the future, actually possess some unique abilities."

"For instance, I can use my psychic powers to turn others into dolls, and I would like to invite you to experience that feeling right now."

"Don't worry, you are a talent valued by the Boss; I won't do anything too extreme."

Sabrina's smile became more pronounced. "I will change you into a few pretty little dresses and then take pictures as a keepsake."

Zhu Suihan sat on the grass and waved at Sabrina with an indifferent air.

"Be my guest."

Alakazam, hiding behind her: !!

Young man, danger!

He didn't know if it was a racial trait taking effect, but Alakazam felt like something was not quite right, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

A massive surge of psychic power formed a giant sphere, enveloping the white-haired man. Sabrina adjusted the fluctuations of her power with practiced ease.

She was an expert at turning people into dolls. Although she had never managed to keep a single collectible, for her, it was merely a means of venting and punishment.

And the white-haired monkey before her, who was so dismissive of psychic powers and treated her like a mere tool, was exactly the target Sabrina wanted to take revenge on!

One minute passed; Sabrina's expression was calm.

Ten minutes passed; Sabrina's expression froze.

Fifteen minutes passed.

"Keep going, haven't you eaten today?"

Alakazam: ?

If he hadn't misheard, the tone of this white-haired fellow in front of them seemed... quite satisfied?

Satisfied, my foot! Turning someone into a doll—let alone the psychological terror—the physical pain inflicted by external psychic pressure alone was agonizing enough!

"Why are you fine?!"

"That's not the point!"

Zhu Suihan waved a hand dismissively. "The point is, I find this quite comfortable. Can you keep it up a bit longer?"

It felt like soaking in a hot spring; the continuous flow of psychic energy pouring into his body gave Zhu Suihan the feeling of having consumed all the energy cubes made from a set of ten-year-old berries.

In short, Sabrina's energy reserves were quite abundant. Dropping by every few days to "recharge" could definitely be added to his weekly routine.

The travel expenses alone weren't even enough to buy one ten-year berry, let alone a whole set.

Arceus above!

I really am a portable charger!

Watching the white-haired monkey she had pegged as a "monkey" look increasingly spirited, Sabrina gritted her teeth and increased her output.

"Alakazam!"

"Alaka."

The old Alakazam appeared helplessly behind Sabrina, adding his own psychic power to hers.

He used to say there was no chance for him to assist Sabrina like this. Now that the opportunity was right in front of him, he didn't want it at all.

Sabrina was losing her cool.

And now, Alakazam knew what was wrong: Zhu Suihan clearly had two Poké Balls on his belt with unusual colors, yet those balls showed no reaction at all.

As long as the bond is strong enough, Pokémon will automatically emerge from their balls when their trainer is in danger; they will use their last ounce of strength to protect them.

But the problem was, the Poké Balls on his belt were truly motionless.

Not enough of a bond?

Nonsense. Alakazam could feel Zhu Suihan's love for his Pokémon.

There was only one explanation: his partners simply didn't think Sabrina's actions posed any danger.

They were too lazy to even pop out for show.

Sabrina's actions didn't pose the slightest threat!

Then, Alakazam was naturally drained dry by Sabrina. The old fox leaned weakly against a tree trunk, taking out energy cubes and nutritional supplements from his pouch to replenish his stores.

Zhu Suihan gave a sharp critique: "You're failing, Sabrina. If this is the limit of a psychic, then I am very disappointed in you."

Well, that was what he said, but the overall result was quite good. At the very least, Zhu Suihan felt he could have fewer snacks like energy cubes after dinner tonight.

Or rather, in terms of total nutritional intake, the so-called "after-dinner snacks" were effectively his main meal.

Sabrina: ...

She was so angry, nearly driven mad, but she couldn't think of a single reason to retort.

She was truly tapped out.

"Young lady, I know you're in a hurry, but don't be in such a rush."

Zhu Suihan stretched his joints. "Now you know that psychic power isn't omnipotent, right? Or do you have some new tricks I don't know about that you'd like to demonstrate?"

"You are not human!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes. I'm just a very rare white-haired monkey."

Admitting to the nickname now was like hammering a heavy blow into Sabrina's defenses, followed by planting a few demolition charges.

Sabrina took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain her composure as she climbed down from the tree. However, because her psychic energy was nearly depleted, her psychic field was unstable when she landed, making her look somewhat comical.

In short, she sprained her ankle.

"I still have even greater power!"

Zhu Suihan nodded calmly. You are the loser, you can throw a tantrum however you like, but I won't say another word.

If you have the ability, perform a "Psycho Boost" for me right here, and I'll pull out my phone to record it.

Sabrina glanced at the still-recovering Alakazam and couldn't help but feel deflated.

She did know of a more powerful force, but it was absolutely not something she could use right now, as her current state and Alakazam's could not support the consumption.

Mega Evolution.

Alakazam would convert all his power into psychic energy, thereby achieving a sublimation of the essence of life.

She had the Key Stone, and she had the Mega Stone, but she couldn't execute it right now.

Furthermore, Sabrina had a hunch that even if she and Alakazam were at full strength and used Mega Evolution, they would eventually be drained dry by the bottomless pit that was the other party's body.

"What kind of ability is this? An ordinary person would have had problems long ago after enduring that level of psychic power."

Sabrina said coldly, "You definitely have superhuman powers."

"Well said, but I'd also like to know the name of this ability."

Zhu Suihan shrugged. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going. Thank you for your cooperation this time. If Team Dark is taken down, you'll definitely get some credit. Do you need a certificate of merit?"

"Wait."

Sabrina took a letter from the pouch at her waist and handed it to Zhu Suihan.

"Coming to find you wasn't my own idea, but the Boss wants to invite you to attend a festival in a month's time."

Zhu Suihan: ?

Is this kind of old-fashioned, traditional thing something that someone as imposing as Giovanni would actually do?

Are we really going with "primitive man swipes a bank card to pay the bill"?

"What kind of festival? Or is it some kind of anniversary celebration for your Rocket Group?"

"No, it's just a festival."

Sabrina emphasized, "The Viridian Festival. The location is deep within the Viridian Forest. Participants can go there on their own, or gather in Viridian City and be led in by our group's employees."

Zhu Suihan took the invitation and scratched his head, not quite understanding what this was all about.

"If I may ask, a festival usually has a reason or an object of celebration. Who is it for?"

"You should know the legend circulating among poachers: that the Boss found an astonishing amount of treasure in the Viridian Forest, which served as the first bucket of gold for the Rocket Group."

Sabrina folded her arms. "I can tell you that the treasure is real, but the Boss personally placed it deep in the Viridian Forest; it wasn't a historical relic."

"And this is the first time this festival is being held. The Boss intends to choose an heir for the treasure."

Zhu Suihan raised an eyebrow. "Care to share some details?"

"A fossil of Mew's eyelash. The Boss placed the fossil in the Viridian Forest, using the power of the entire forest to restore vitality to the fossil."

The white-haired man froze.

Huh?!

A fossil of Mew's eyelash—doesn't that mean the life form eventually resurrected would be Mewtwo?

A destined villain who hasn't succeeded once in over twenty years of counterattacks, but in reality, Mewtwo's strength is absolutely not to be underestimated; it is extremely dangerous.

Sabrina said, "If the Mew eyelash fossil can be revitalized, it will likely undergo some different changes, similar to the images simulated by the people at the Fossil Research Institute."

"According to the Boss, it requires more young talents from different fields to witness this moment together, to ensure that the revitalized fossil does not undergo negative changes."

"Using the Viridian Forest as an incubator, using technological means to conduct resurrection experiments—but there is a problem here."

Zhu Suihan spoke up: "Human technology can create his body, but it cannot create a gentle heart."

Now it was Sabrina's turn to be full of question marks.

"How do you know that phrase? Could it be that you've met the Boss before?"

"Nothing, it's just that because of my studies, I happen to have such thoughts."

A Joy, is it? It's normal to have such thoughts.

Sabrina nodded. "Those were the Boss's exact words, which is why we have been screening the people who will truly attend the festival."

Zhu Suihan frowned. "Then why study such things? A group as large as yours shouldn't be unaware that this is a forbidden area of research."

"Because..."

Sabrina suddenly fell silent.

"There are some things we can decide, but this matter is not one of them. It has to do with fossil resurrection technology, and it also concerns decisions made by those at the very top."

Sabrina turned and left. "In any case, you only need to know that there are many parties involved in this eyelash fossil matter, and the Viridian Festival is the greatest opportunity the Boss could fight for."

"I look forward to seeing you again in a month."

Alakazam nodded at Zhu Suihan, gave a light wave of the spoon in his hand, and used Teleport to take Sabrina away from the forest.

Once Sabrina was gone, Lapras and Alcremie popped out, looking at Zhu Suihan with curiosity.

According to their experience, their trainer must have heard something unusual from Sabrina's words, but found it difficult to say out loud.

Zhu Suihan stroked Lapras's neck, put Alcremie back on top of his head, and also left the woods, preparing to catch tomorrow's flight back to Goldenrod City and then take the school bus back to the academy.

"So, there are many parties involved."