Chapter Twenty-Seven: Chasing legends? Legends chase after me!

Zhushuihan pulled Abi aside to sit with him.

"Tell me about this so-called Dark Squad. I can't help but feel that the name lacks any character or charm."

Abi rolled her eyes. "They're a group that specializes in bad deeds. What do you expect? They're not writing poetry."

"Let me tell you what I know. In the past, the underworld of Guandu was a chaotic mix of all sorts, but ever since the Dark Squad appeared out of nowhere, they've become a major power in a very real sense." Abi continued, "The Dark Squad isn't exactly high-profile, but they're not exactly discreet either. Their activities are obvious enough for the League to notice, but their core operations remain out of reach."

"Because the Dark Ball exists, even the lower-level members might carry extremely powerful Pokémon with them. So even though the structure of the Dark Squad is rather loose, their strength can't be underestimated."

Zhushuihan asked, "So what you're saying is, the League probably knows more details than you do?"

"Right. Aside from that, I also know why they're here at Slowpoke Well." Abi pointed to the pond before them. "Strictly speaking, Slowpoke Well is just a watering hole for these sluggish little creatures."

"But according to legend, four hundred years ago there was a severe drought around Azalea Town. After a Slowpoke yawned, torrential rain came and ended the drought. The place took on a mythical significance after that."

"Even now, the water level in Slowpoke Well is a natural gauge for monitoring Azalea Town's water supply. It's a crucial spot, which is why Mr. Steel was appointed as the caretaker in the first place."

Zhushuihan understood. "So those Dark Squad folks are chasing after legends?"

"Yeah. Their initial public guise was as an archaeology group, but after a museum theft, Officer Jenny caught onto their trail, which blew their cover."

Abi shrugged. "But unfortunately, it seems the leader of the Dark Squad is quite formidable. The League underestimated him and he managed to escape."

"Chasing legends... Do you know what the Dark Squad actually wants?"

Abi leaned back against the rock wall, hands behind her head. "No idea. Chasing legends always comes down to a few familiar motives, all ultimately tied to legendary Pokémon in some way."

"Following the classic villain logic, it's either to fulfill their own ambitions or to use the power of a legendary Pokémon to conquer the world."

"But I'm curious too. Aside from the Elite Four and the Champion, it's not like the League lacks strong trainers. What makes the Dark Squad think they can win?"

Zhushuihan shrugged. Whether this group, possibly founded by Bishas, can win doesn't concern me. But if he manages to control Celebi's power, he'll definitely become a time-traveling thief—there's no escaping that fate.

I wonder if the chosen one from the future will come back through time to punish him.

After all, in the original storyline, Bishas was defeated by Ash and his friends.

"The Dark Squad—are you still waiting for reinforcements?"

Abi nodded. "It's a half-hearted attempt. After we captured them, we used their own communication gear to send a message: 'Operation proceeding as planned.'"

"There are two possibilities. Either another group will come, or they have some secret code in their communications that we don't know about, and we won't catch anyone else."

"I'm leaning towards the second possibility."

Zhushuihan nodded silently. He agreed—it would be shameful for such a notorious criminal group not to have some kind of coded communication.

Officer Jenny walked over. "Abi, we'll keep watch for another half hour. If nothing happens, we'll withdraw."

Zhushuihan spoke up. "May I ask—have you ever captured a Dark Squad base or something like that? Why keep watch here?"

"The Dark Squad is always on the move. They don't have fixed bases. The Dark Ball makes things too convenient." Officer Jenny shook her head. "Any spot in the wild could be a temporary hideout. If our theory is correct, they surely have unique ways of contacting each other."

A roaming villain team. Of course, the Dark Squad's top brass might have a real headquarters, but the roving 'hideouts' of the lower ranks obscure the truth.

It's quite troublesome.

It's like dealing with a sneaky opponent with a stun gun—you never know what dark corner they'll pop out of, ready to stab you in the back.

"Anyway, thanks for your hard work. Keep it up."

Abi smirked. "Aren't you going to give us a little extra luck?"

Zhushuihan chuckled. "Can you beat the Dark Squad's boss? If not, are you sure you want me to give you a blessing?"

Abi gave up immediately. "Forget it."

"Oh, by the way, is this water drinkable? I'd like to try it."

Abi nodded, so Zhushuihan grabbed a cup and reached in to scoop some water.

As everyone knows, when anglers mix bait, they usually use water from the pond rather than their own drinking water.

Zhushuihan was quite curious why this water was so closely connected to the Slowpoke.

One or two, perhaps, but there was a whole sizable group living here.

History is difficult to verify, and causality impossible to determine.

Chasing legends—maybe the Dark Squad really did have some inside information stolen from the museum.

"Help yourself. This water meets drinking standards."

As he lowered the cup, Zhushuihan's brow furrowed. He seemed to have touched something hard, but couldn't quite tell what it was.

Hard—so not a Slowpoke.

Not moving—so not a Shellder.

The Dark Squad grunts had all been dealt with, so it couldn't be any electronic device they'd left behind. And if there had been, it would have been fished out by now.

"Lapras."

Zhushuihan stepped aside. "The spot I just reached into—use the gentlest Surf to push whatever's in there out."

"Lapraaaas."

At his command, Lapras, unfazed by the location, manipulated the water to push up a small fountain, revealing an indistinct object that drifted toward Zhushuihan.

With a snap, Zhushuihan grabbed it, falling silent.

It was a ring, like a bracelet, but half of it was shaped as if coral eroded by seawater had outlined a 'mountain' character, glowing softly in the moonlight.

The King's... Proof?!

"Abi!"

"What?!"

Abi jumped. "Is there something wrong with the water? That's impossible—we checked the quality when we arrived."

"It's nothing. Weren't the Dark Squad chasing legends?"

Zhushuihan showed Abi and Officer Jenny the item in his hand.

"I think I've found the so-called legend."

Abi, Officer Jenny, and Nurse Joy: ?

"The King's Proof?"

Abi was dumbfounded. "Wait, you just tried to drink some water and found that?"

"Yes."

Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy were equally astonished. If any Dark Squad grunts had been conscious, they'd have been even more shocked—perhaps even suffered a heart attack.

After all their searching, one person just scooped it up by chance!

"It's all thanks to my partner."

Zhushuihan patted Lapras's neck. "Something felt off when I touched it, so I had Lapras help out. Never expected to find this."

"Lapraaas!" Lapras raised its head proudly.

See? When it matters, you can count on me!

Abi was speechless, for the first time tempted to give up her Gym Leader post and travel with Zhushuihan instead.

With luck like this, how could you not dominate wherever you go!

Officer Jenny hurried over. "Excuse me, Mr. Zhushuihan, may I examine the King's Proof in your hand?"

"Of course, but it's still wet."

"That's fine."

Officer Jenny took the King's Proof, examining it closely, then exchanged thoughts with Nurse Joy, casting a complicated look at Zhushuihan.

This luck... it's on another level.

To just scoop up a King's Proof like that—are we locals just slow-witted or something?

Abi was relentless. "Zhushuihan, I'll go back to the gym right now to get you a diving suit. Want to see what else is down there?"

"Honestly, if I weren't worried about contaminating the water, I would have just reached in earlier."

Zhushuihan sighed. "One King's Proof is already amazing. Do you really think there could be a second?"

Abi grinned. "I wouldn't have believed it before, but now? Who knows."

Let's test your luck!

"Mr. Zhushuihan, could you try again?" Officer Jenny was now taking it seriously. "Slowpoke Well has a long history. If we could find something even more convincing, we might be able to resolve the issue once and for all."

Zhushuihan paused. "You mean, use any key discoveries to make an official announcement?"

"Exactly. If we publicize what we find, it'll make the Dark Squad less likely to covet Slowpoke Well, since it's Azalea Town's main water source."

Nurse Joy glanced skeptically at Officer Jenny, wondering if her close friend had been hexed by a Ghost-type Pokémon.

You're really taking Abi's suggestion seriously?

"Alright, I'll give it another try."

Zhushuihan went all in. Abi, if you believe in luck, let me show you!

"Lend me your bug-catching net."

"No problem." Abi grinned, pulling out a short stick and pressing a button. Like a kid's toy staff, it telescoped open into a high-quality bug net, which Zhushuihan took.

"Nice quality."

"It's decent. For deep-woods bug catching, I still recommend nets made from natural materials. Many Bug-type Pokémon are sensitive to metal—they get cautious if they smell it."

Zhushuihan tested the weight, then reached in for another scoop.

Wait—

It's a bit heavy?

Did he actually catch something else?!

"Abi, quick—what's the max load on this thing?"

"Silph makes it. As long as you're strong enough, you could even wrestle a Heracross with it."

"Wait—you actually caught something?!"

Zhushuihan turned to call out, "Chansey, come help! Time to show off all that training!"

"Chaaansey!"

Chansey hurried over, helping Zhushuihan grip the net. There was a spark of invisible determination in Chansey's egg-shaped body as they both strained to lift the net together!

Zhushuihan felt a complex mix of emotions. The whole process felt like reeling in a giant fish—after much struggle, the angler finally drags it to shore, only for the person with the net to nearly break his arm trying to haul it in.

"Give us a hand, Lapras. Low-power Surf!"

"Laaaapraaaas—!"

Lapras called out, pushing up a large mound of water to help Zhushuihan and Chansey reduce the load.

Zhushuihan gritted his teeth. He thought he was strong, but whatever was underwater was even stronger. Whose subordinate was this?

Could a Snorlax really be hibernating underwater?