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The scene shifts to Nan Gongmeng's side.
Just as Mo Ye had found the culprit behind the sandstorm, Nan Gongmeng, with the help of Dedenne, effortlessly located a raised mound.
"Dedenne!"
Dedenne pointed at the mound, chattering incessantly.
"Hollowed out? Twenty meters underground? Got it. Good job."
Nan Gongmeng nodded and recalled Dedenne.
Beside her, a small, white Pokémon resembling a bird—but lacking a beak or head, instead sporting a human-like face, a crown of red, white, and blue, and a belly marked with red and blue triangles—blinked its glowing blue eyes.
The sand and wind were completely blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to reach them.
"Underground… not really my specialty."
Nan Gongmeng eyed the mound and pulled out a Poké Ball from her pocket.
Click!
The ball opened, and a Pokémon with green hair and a flowing white dress, resembling an elegant lady, landed gracefully.
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied.
"Enough, enough! This isn't the time to be lost in your Mary Sue fantasies!" Nan Gongmeng chided before brushing aside her hair, revealing a small Key Stone embedded in her ear.
Gardevoir, in turn, adjusted her silky scarf, exposing her Mega Stone.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
"Mega Evolve."
As soon as the words left her lips, chains of light shot out, connecting in midair as Gardevoir's form rapidly transformed.
Her hair curled upwards, her figure grew more slender, the horn on her chest split into two, her arms appeared gloved, and her dress morphed into an extravagant gown—radiant and regal.
Mega Gardevoir had arrived!
"Now, let's show those tech-dependent fools the power of bonds!"
Nan Gongmeng smirked at the mound. "Crush them with your psychic might!"
"Gardevoir!"
Mega Gardevoir raised her voice, her eyes blazing with brilliant blue light. The air trembled as if shaken by an invisible force.
Where the naked eye couldn't perceive, vast psychic energy gathered, compressed, and condensed—over and over—until what was once intangible became a pitch-black sphere hovering in the air.
The sandstorm itself seemed to recoil from it, parting ways.
Nan Gongmeng admired the destructive masterpiece her Mega Gardevoir had crafted and nodded. "That's enough. Any more and they'll notice."
"Go! Drag those Diglett-wannabes out of their hole!"
She snapped her fingers.
Mega Gardevoir raised her hands and hurled the black sphere toward the mound like a pitcher throwing a fastball.
The sphere descended rapidly, effortlessly parting the sand and ignoring the howling winds. When it struck the mound, it plowed through the earth like a hot knife through butter, compressing everything in its path downward—until the sound of twisting metal and explosions marked its conclusion.
"Pathetic hiding spot."
Nan Gongmeng scoffed, noting the weakening sandstorm—a sign that Mo Ye had also found his targets.
Without hesitation, she hopped onto Togekiss, who deployed Protect. Mega Gardevoir closed her eyes and teleported them straight into the hollowed mound.
The moment they landed, multiple attacks—including a surge of dark energy—slammed into Togekiss's green barrier, failing to breach it.
Then, Mega Gardevoir opened her mouth and unleashed a deafening, melodic cry!
The sound waves turned pink as they rippled outward!
Fairy-typed Hyper Voice, courtesy of the ability Pixilate!
Beside her, Togekiss bathed the surroundings in dazzling, multicolored light!
Dazzling Gleam!
In an instant, the dim underground space was flooded with blinding radiance.
Screams erupted from every direction!
These two moves were wide-range attacks—weaker in individual potency but without blind spots.
Nan Gongmeng wasn't foolish enough to rely on Psychic-type moves here.
As the light dimmed, Nan Gongmeng glanced around.
She stood in a spacious area with earthen walls on three sides and an exit blocked by sparking, wrecked machinery. Scattered around were unconscious New Sun/Dawn Sect Cultists and fainted Pokémon—including an unusually large Alolan Muk, which earned a second glance.
The ceiling had been obliterated by the earlier black sphere, allowing sunlight to pour in, illuminating some areas while deepening the shadows elsewhere.
'Were the masterminds hiding in there?'
She blinked. Both Pokémon had exercised precision—while the attacks were indiscriminate, their mastery over energy allowed them to control the damage dealt.
Almost magical.
"Search the place."
Nan Gongmeng's voice was low. In an environment like this, Mega Gardevoir's psychic senses were invaluable.
Suddenly—
A emerald-green tentacle shot out from the darkness!
It slipped between Mega Gardevoir and Togekiss, aiming straight for Nan Gongmeng!
But the moment it neared, a spectral claw emerged from Nan Gongmeng's shadow—slicing the tentacle apart before surging toward the darkness!
"Ugh!"
A pained grunt echoed before silence returned.
"Seriously? Did you really think I'd walk in here without backup? Use your brain!"
Nan Gongmeng gave the shadows an incredulous look as a tattered, beige Pikachu doll flickered in and out of existence within her shadow.
Just then, several figures leaped from another patch of darkness, attempting to flee through the hole in the ceiling!
Their speed was staggering—but halfway up, they collided with an invisible barrier and crashed back down.
"Wow, you guys are really not bright. You thought I'd leave an escape route wide open?"
Nan Gongmeng stared at the fallen figures in disbelief.
Above them, a Mr. Mime—chanting "Mine! Mine!"—stood atop the invisible wall, having long since blocked the exit.
Togekiss's eyes glowed as it attempted to seize the figures with Psychic.
One resisted—prompting Mr. Mime to blast it with a beam-like Dazzling Gleam, knocking it out cold and revealing its true form: a pink, squid-like Pokémon.
"Ugh, Malamar. No wonder."
Nan Gongmeng wrinkled her nose before turning to the remaining figures.
A man, a woman, and two Aegislash.
The man—middle-aged, with a beard, brown hair, and brown eyes—wore a sleek silver bodysuit. He struggled futilely before freezing in shock upon realizing he couldn't move.
Beside him, a golden-haired, fair-skinned woman with closed eyes—also clad in silver—seemed unconscious.
Meanwhile, Mega Gardevoir's psychic scan revealed a hidden door. Probing further, it detected fleeing footprints hundreds of meters away—likely two people accompanied by Pokémon.
The feedback was immediate.
"Tch. Two got away. I'm never gonna hear the end of this."
Nan Gongmeng clicked her tongue, irritated that even her swift action hadn't prevented an escape.
But there was no need to panic. She pulled out her phone and checked the signal—full bars.
'The base camp must've set up a signal tower. Fast work.'
She quickly contacted the Master-level trainers at the camp, relaying the situation and the escapees' direction.
Once done, she turned her attention to the silver-clad duo.
"So, where are you two from? Oh, and 'sleeping beauty' over there—you can open your eyes. It's pointless."
The golden-haired woman didn't react.
"Keep pretending, and I'll have Gardevoir heighten your skin's sensitivity. Everywhere."
Nan Gongmeng crossed her arms, her tone flat.
At that, the woman slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly.
"Talk. Honesty gets leniency; resistance gets punishment." Nan Gongmeng waved a hand. "I don't want to torture you. Don't make me."
The brown-haired man's face flushed—whether from exertion or humiliation—before he finally spat out, "You—you don't follow the rules! We just stole some Pokémon, blew up a few cars, and kidnapped some people! Monsters like you didn't need to go this hard on us!"
"Monsters…"
Nan Gongmeng's brow furrowed. "You're actually delusional. 'Just' blew up cars and kidnapped people? Never mind. Interrogation isn't my thing. Someone else can handle you."
She waved dismissively, finding their logic incomprehensible.
'Not following the rules?'
In Zhu Xia, they were the rules!
And given the blood on these people's hands, public disclosure would likely earn them a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
As she prepared to act, several rangers in uniform appeared above.
"Ms. Nan Gong, we'll handle the cleanup here. You can take these two back to camp first."
They shattered the remaining glass ceiling with their Pokémon and descended.
Nan Gongmeng nodded. "Good. Be careful."
"Of course." The rangers smiled.
Mega Gardevoir teleported the two captives and several Pokémon straight to the camp.
Coincidentally, Mo Ye had also returned—empty-handed.
The two locked eyes.
Nan Gongmeng's expression turned teasing. "Oh? Didn't catch anyone? I nabbed two~"
Behind her, Togekiss shook the immobilized silver-suited figures.
Mo Ye glanced at them, his face impassive. "Hn."
Nearby, a Master-level trainer and several headquarters personnel approached.
"The president wants these two and the abnormal Pokémon sent to HQ immediately."
"Fine, but be careful with their suits. They're trouble."
Nan Gongmeng shrugged. "Strip them first."
The Master-level trainer nodded. "Understood. You two should check the scanned maps and intel. There's new activity below—could be serious. A team's already heading down."
'Serious.'
Nan Gongmeng and Mo Ye exchanged a glance before hurrying to the command vehicle to review the data.
After a quick briefing, they prepared to teleport underground—
But just as they were about to move, another earthquake struck!
The ground trembled violently!
Rumble—!!