Chapter 126: The Dark Sphere Deciphered!

"The Mega Evolution phenomenon in the Kalos region—this type of item is specifically designed to deal with those 'Bond Phenomenon' types."

Aside from special cases like Primal Reversion, it seems that for some Pokémon, Mega Evolution is a way to tap into the ancient power hidden within their bloodlines, while for others, it is simply a standard Mega Evolution. Some scholars argue that the Mega-evolved form of Aerodactyl is its true form, just a version with a much more irritable temperament. However, the vague and cryptic Pokédex entries for creatures like Roaring Moon from Area Zero do not count in this category.

Zhu Suihan watched the core module recording data, feeling that his line of thinking was increasingly leaning toward that of a villain. As for his equipment, let’s just say that the legendary kitchenware sent over by Entei at least made him look like a practitioner of the righteous path. From now on, if he encountered an opponent in the wild who immediately used Mega Evolution, Zhu Suihan could simply fire a sonic bomb and give them a real surprise. His partners could then take advantage of the opportunity to rush in and unleash a devastating combo, perhaps even securing a victory on the spot.

You say my item isn't legitimate? Your Mega Evolution gets disrupted by my electromagnetic bomb, perhaps even forcing you to revert to your base form? That only proves your bond isn't firm enough! Your purity is insufficient!

"As the number of partners increases in the future, I'll need to add their data to the whitelist as well."
"Woo-woo?"
"Milcery?"
Zhu Suihan shook his head. "Well, for now, neither of you has the potential for Mega Evolution, but both of you are capable of Gigantamaxing."

Why does it feel like Galar is his second home? If Gigantamaxing is Ultraman, then Mega Evolution is Kamen Rider. Both are cool, but the style and direction of that coolness are different.

"Alright, if you're interested, you can look at the waveforms of the data. You can at least read the rise and fall of the lines, right?" Zhu Suihan smiled. "If we aren't too rigorous, those fluctuations can also be seen as your inner turbulence; it's actually quite interesting."

Lapras and Milcery moved closer, watching as the three previously unrelated waveforms gradually merged into one. The two little ones began to sway along with the changing data on the screen.

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A.

Not to mention, it was actually quite catchy!

"Dancing is prohibited in the laboratory!"

After tapping the two little ones on the head, Zhu Suihan looked at the box nearby and entered the password quite solemnly to open it. Inside lay several seemingly ordinary Poké Balls.

"Hah, they really went to the trouble of painting and camouflaging them, but it’s irrelevant."

I don't care what kind of skin you put on these Dark Balls, as long as the chip is still inside.

"Wait, I think I forgot to ask if there’s any self-destruct program inside the Dark Balls."

No, it’s better to be safe than sorry; I must be more cautious.

Zhu Suihan rubbed his hands together, turned off all the instruments in the lab, and fetched his toolbox to begin manual disassembly. First, he felt around the surface to ensure there were no special traps—the kind of mechanism that would explode if you used the wrong technique. Once he confirmed there were none, he proceeded to the next steps, dismantling the Dark Ball into three parts: the upper and lower hemispheres and the core housing the chip.

"No touch-sensitive traps? Are they trying to accommodate those uneducated subordinates?"

He continued to dismantle the chip section. Only after confirming that all internal components were clearly identified did Zhu Suihan connect the pile of parts to the research equipment and power them up. After a buzzing sound, a strange black light flickered over the Dark Ball, accompanied by a series of unintelligible noises.

"Woo-woo." It sounds terrible, as if someone is constantly babbling in front of me.
"Milcery!" I, the Great Emperor, want to hit someone!

"Is the auditory range different from that of humans? Where did that old geezer Vicious get this technology?"

Zhu Suihan placed his hands on the two little ones again. "Don't be afraid. Think of your trainer—I am far more terrifying than this Dark Ball."

Who do you think you are! A mere Dark Ball; once my research is finished, I'll toss you into a pot and let you experience the power of Sacred Fire!

Entering the state of "Singular Heart" again, Zhu Suihan heard the strange sounds produced by the Dark Ball. Oppression! The silent fear washed away the murmuring; Zhu Suihan turned off the instrument and looked at the Dark Ball thoughtfully, feeling as though he had grasped its operating principle.

In short, this is a variation of a certain heinous "game" from his previous life. A Pokémon captured by a Dark Ball is constantly subjected to that agony inside the sphere. By the time they stop struggling, they have essentially been twisted into the shape of the Dark Ball. Even if their subconscious mind resists these actions, their bodies are no longer under their own control.

"Or to put it another way," Zhu Suihan took energy cubes from the incense burner to feed the two little ones, "when everyone you know—including but not limited to your parents, supervisors, and friends—suddenly starts gaslighting you, the Poké Ball is the physical torture applied on top of that. This is the essence of the Dark Ball."

He had once watched videos about "youthful fantasies" and "childhood memories"—perhaps this was the solution to the Dark Ball. Using stronger emotional fluctuations to wash away the influence of the Dark Ball. The difficulty lies in the fact that the Dark Ball and the villains who control it represent "real-world pressure." Relying on bonds to break the mental shackles is commonly known as using magic to defeat magic. Extraordinary powers can also achieve this—for instance, the level of a maxed-out cleric like Yellow; Sabrina and Lance should also be capable, but such individual cases are too rare.

"Milcery!" Milcery flexed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, feeling that her "Emperor's Heart" had been further tempered and strengthened. She had become stronger!

"Woo-woo." Lapras also felt that her mental state had improved slightly, though she wasn't sure if it was the effect of the Dark Ball or the pressure from her trainer.

Zhu Suihan held Milcery down. "Let's skip this kind of sinister training method; it’s extremely unsafe."

"However, I think I understand why the League has no interest in Dark Balls."

According to normal research methods, humans cannot hear the sound waves emitted by the Dark Ball, and even if Pokémon can hear them, they cannot articulate them. This requirement for a Pokémon's mental cultivation is high—it's not enough to just bring a Porygon or Rotom; what if they can't handle the pressure of the Dark Ball and get corrupted on the spot? Furthermore, among those with the research capability and the ability to ensure their partners' mental strength meets the standard, perhaps only Professor Oak and his generation could do it. But Professor Oak is an elderly man; asking him to endure such mental torture would be inhumane. Meanwhile, those trainers who can easily synchronize with their partners, such as Sabrina and Lance, are completely clueless about research.

It’s the classic seesaw phenomenon: when you cannot balance both sides, solving one problem always causes another to pop up. It’s exactly like telling a child not to do something dangerous, only for them to turn around and do something else equally hazardous.

"Since there's no self-destruct program, what are you posturing for?"

Zhu Suihan decisively swung a frying pan, smashing the dismantled Dark Ball to pieces. He then took another one from the box to begin disassembly. After attaching the sensor chip he used for sonic bombs earlier, Zhu Suihan and the two little ones entered the state of "Singular Heart," allowing the laboratory instruments to record the sound waves and energy waveforms.

"Waveform recording successful. Decoding in progress."
[Research Points: 290]

The cold, mechanical prompt sounded. Zhu Suihan glanced at the data and roughly estimated the time required for decoding. There used to be a saying that if a master teaches an apprentice everything, the master will starve, which led to an industry custom of "holding back a trick." In the modern era, from truth serums down to barbecue seasoning recipes, there might be some superfluous ingredients mixed in to confuse others' research.

The decoding process involved removing the firewalls made of these superfluous data pieces, then completely isolating the core data that Zhu Suihan had heard. Once isolated, the machine could create a cracking program specifically for the core data—a virus that strikes directly at the heart of the system.

"The increase in research points should be the total from all the research results during this period. Still, it’s good; at least it looks much more comforting than that 'two-fifty' [idiot] figure."

"Using irregular single-syllable combinations can synthesize the virus, which saves me from having to compose a melody later. Doesn't this mean the user will have their own background music when they fight?"

After checking the sky, he decisively took Lapras and Milcery to eat. Zhu Suihan sat in the cafeteria, ordered an iced soda, and took a sip. Elegant. He could only say that he truly lived up to his status as a cheater. All those nights of internal competition were not in vain; at least now that he understood where the problem lay, he could directly proceed to solve the issue of the Dark Balls.

"Of course, the most important part is you two." Zhu Suihan glanced at Lapras, who was devouring her food, and Milcery, who was dunking herself in her soda on the table. "If you two hadn't helped me, I might not have realized that the core data of the Dark Ball was actually this simple."

"Woo-woo~"
"Milcery!"
As expected, the trainer still can't do it without us!

"Yes, yes, I really can't do it without you." Zhu Suihan smiled, patting each of them on the head. He finished the soda in one breath, took out his phone, and called Joy Jing.

"Hello, Director, I've successfully cracked the Dark Ball. The lab I rented is currently decoding the data. Would you like to send two security guards over to keep watch?"

Joy Jing was stunned. "You solved it in a day?!"

"It's actually very simple once you grasp the key points. Some things humans cannot hear clearly, but Pokémon can." Zhu Suihan explained, "When you enter a state of close-knit synchronization with your partner, you can hear what they hear. That is the way to break the deadlock."

Close-knit synchronization? Joy Jing almost instantly associated this with Mega Evolution and understood what method Zhu Suihan had used to open up his research path.

"You really are bold." This research method was extremely dangerous. On the Pokémon level, as long as the mental strength was sufficient, they could resist the power of the Dark Ball, but that wasn't necessarily true for humans. No, since the student was fine, the most important thing now was the data in the laboratory.

Joy Jing’s tone softened. "Suihan, go get some rest. I'll have someone keep an eye on the lab."

After hanging up, Joy Jing flipped through her contacts and dialed Officer Jenny's number, the corners of her mouth curling up in a way that was harder to suppress than a high-pressure water gun.

"Hello, old friend. I have two pieces of good news here. Which one would you like to hear first?"