Chapter 250: Observation Station No. 1, The Roaring Moon Attacks Under the Night Sky

Walking inside the building filled with a technological aesthetic, Luo Mu thought the interior actually looked quite proper, unlike the dilapidated appearance outside.

The staff inside were even busier; everywhere one looked, people were staring fixedly at their screens, attempting to establish communication with those below.

Brother Brother Qingmu reminded Luo Mu, "Let's go; we'll take the elevator down. The space below allows entry into the Paldea Crater."

Luo Mu nodded slightly and followed Brother Brother Qingmu into the elevator, arriving at a sealed room where a metal door stood towering.

Brother Brother Qingmu pulled an access card from the collar of his suit and pressed it against the authentication machine beside the door.

With a "beep," a mechanically synthesized electronic voice rang out within the room.

【Paldea Elite Four Brother Brother Qingmu, identification approved. Descent gate, opening. I wish you all martial fortune and prosperity.】

Accompanied by the sounds of precise mechanical movements, the metal door blocking the view split open from the center. A gust of wild wind immediately rushed toward their faces; amidst the howling airflow, a layer of clouds and mist enveloping the entire crater, obscuring the features below from view, came into sight.

Towering mountain peaks wreathed in clouds and mist looked like entrances to some mysterious world, inspiring awe in the heart.

The sea of clouds was like a layer of light gauze, gently covering the mountain peaks, adding to them a sense of mystery.

For anyone's first expedition into the crater, nervousness was inevitable; the unknown was the most terrifying thing. Luo Mu knew clearly that beneath the sea of clouds lay a terrifying height resembling a path to the underworld; a single careless slip and fall would be enough to crush a person into pieces.

Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu exchanged a glance; each mounted their Dragonite and Tropius respectively, and they said in unison, "Let's go."

Hearing this, Dragonite and Tropius flapped their wings, accelerated their bodies into a run, and leaped straight into the sea of clouds.

Tropius had previously brought Brother Brother Qingmu to the Paldea Crater several times, so it felt no fear toward the unknown below.

Dragonite could easily conquer even terrifying thunderstorms; thick clouds and mist were insufficient to destroy its psychological defenses.

Both Pokémon simultaneously chose to descend at high speed. Luo Mu hugged Dragonite's body tightly; roaring airflow whistled past his ears, and the hem of his clothes fluttered loudly in the wild wind.

Gradually, the speed of descent slowed down.

Luo Mu opened his eyes, and a breathtaking landscape came into view.

A vast land covered in lush green vegetation, complex terrain transforming into continuous valleys, and brilliant crystalline lights dotting the scene—Luo Mu knew that was the radiance of Terastal energy.

The source of the Terastal energy was likely somewhere within this Paldea Crater.

Since the two had entered Area Zero near nightfall, they lacked the sacred feeling depicted in the game of sunlight filtering through thick cloud layers; the entire environment of Area Zero could be described as dim and terrifying, with cries of unknown creatures echoing intermittently in this isolated space.

Dragonite and Tropius landed smoothly on the cliff at the uppermost layer of Area Zero, where buildings bearing the Paldea League emblem had been constructed nearby.

Luo Mu made a judgment: this must be the initial camp.

After stroking Dragonite and Tropius, the two recalled them into their Poké Balls.

Although Area Zero as a whole featured complex terrain resembling a spiral staircase, seemingly allowing a descent from the very center straight down to the great hollow at the bottom,

in reality, doing so would mean facing a swarm attack from surrounding wild Pokémon; no one could guarantee emerging unscathed from such an assault.

Brother Brother Qingmu, still wearing his suit, rolled up his sleeves slightly, retrieved two flashlights from his bracelet-style spatial equipment, handed one to Luo Mu, and said in a deep voice, "Traveling at night, is that no problem?"

Luo Mu took the flashlight and smiled, "Pulling an all-nighter? I'm very skilled at that!"

The strength of both men already counted among the very top tier within the Paldea League; normally, safety would be paramount during exploration, resting at night when appropriate, but now was a critical period where every second counted.

It could be said that the faster they reached the lower levels, the more they could ensure the safety of the two professors and the researchers.

Of course, if everything turned out to be a false alarm, that would be even better.

The two flipped their wrists and released their Pokémon in sync.

"Serperior!" "Oricorio!"

Moving through the night in an environment fraught with danger always kept one's spirit tense, plunging them into a state of high alert.

One had to be careful of attacks potentially coming from the darkness, while also guarding against accidentally stepping into a void, lest one fall into an irreversible abyss.

The light of the flashlights was undoubtedly the best guiding beacon under the night sky, capable of bringing people a slight sense of reassurance.

But contrasting with this sense of reassurance, the light would also attract danger.

Crackle—!

Dazzling Lei Guang lit up on the upper slope of Area Zero; under Brother Brother Qingmu's command, the Oricorio, pale yellow all over and waving fluffy tufts of feathers in a crackling style, danced a fierce Awakening Dance, as fierce electric currents bombarded a group of Dustox.

Serperior raised its arrogant head; several thick plants burst forth from the earth, dancing wildly like wooden dragons, their powerful and heavy attacks causing swathes of Dustox to fall.

The fierce battle lasted about ten-plus minutes; back-to-back, Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu looked at the rows of Dustox lying on the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.

As expected, during the journey toward Observation Station No. 1, the flashlight beams had directly attracted a swarm of Dustox to launch an attack against them.

The Dustox living year-round within Area Zero each possessed considerable strength; here, Pokémon without strength had only one fate—to be preyed upon.

This topic was extremely bare and bloody, but within this Area Zero, the strong devouring the weak was the supreme law.

Fortunately, those present were Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu; facing the siege of over a hundred Dustox, Serperior and Oricorio could resolve the situation with some effort.

Had it been anyone else, the result would have been uncertain.

Brother Brother Qingmu patted the dust off his suit caused by the battle, his demeanor calm, possessing the composure of one whose countenance remains unchanged even if Taishan collapses before him.

As a top-tier employee, one must possess the ability to handle all kinds of unexpected incidents.

With the Dustox defeated, the road to Observation Station No. 1 became clear; Observation Station No. 1 had been established in a relatively safer location, so wild Pokémon wandering nearby were not numerous; apart from a small number of wild Pokémon blocking the way, nothing else went wrong along the journey.

According to the mechanical watch worn on Brother Brother Qingmu's right hand, the two successfully arrived at Observation Station No. 1 at twelve o'clock in the morning.

"No one has been here for quite some time."

Luo Mu pressed his finger against the door of Observation Station No. 1; under the illumination of the flashlight, his finger was visibly coated in thick dust.

Brother Brother Qingmu nodded and directly opened the main door of the observation station.

The original intention behind establishing the observation station was to provide explorers with a slightly safer shelter, so naturally, there were no passwords.

The instant the door opened, soft lighting brightened, and the interior environment of the observation station came into view.

The room overall presented a hexagonal structure; in the center stood three huge blue tanks, which should contain the energy supplying the operation of the observation station's basic equipment.

Several single beds were arranged side by side in one corner of the observation station; there were no obvious books or paper documents remaining, likely having been moved downward along with the advancement of the exploration.

Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu entered the observation station one after the other, with Serperior and Oricorio following closely behind.

The winding Serperior suddenly noticed that Oricorio beside it was in a somewhat abnormal state; while the surrounding darkness had made it unclear earlier, under the bright lamplight, Oricorio's slightly trembling body and the purple hue rising on its skin became very conspicuous.

Serperior instantly judged that Oricorio had very likely accidentally inhaled poison powder spread by the Dustox during the earlier battle and had entered a poisoned state.

Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu also noticed something wrong with the Oricorio and quickly surrounded it.

"Dori."

The Oricorio let out a slightly weak cry from within Brother Brother Qingmu's arms.

Its voice was full of guilt; the Oricorio felt that its own carelessness and negligence might have delayed their forward progress.

"It's fine; I brought an Antidote, and you'll be better soon."

When facing his own Pokémon, Brother Brother Qingmu revealed a completely different side; his slovenly appearance vanished, his calm voice seeming to carry a magic that made both people and Pokémon instinctively trust him, yet his expression remained so focused and gentle.

Although their progress would be affected, in Brother Brother Qingmu's view, treating his Pokémon was far more important.

Just as Brother Brother Qingmu was about to retrieve the prepared Antidote from his Space Ring, Luo Mu reached out to stop him; under Brother Brother Qingmu's puzzled expression, he smiled and said, "Leave it to me. The Venomoth's poison powder isn't severe; it will be cured within a minute."

"Take this opportunity to try contacting the station below using the communication equipment inside the observation post."

As his words fell, Luo Mu rotated the wrist holding the Poké Ball, and the figure of a Comfey appeared.

"Comfey~"

Seeing its fellow countryman poisoned, the Comfey shook its flower ring, spreading a fresh floral scent, and the Oricorio's condition began to improve at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"A Comfey specializing in Aromatherapy and healing..."

Brother Brother Qingmu was dazed for an instant, never expecting Luo Mu to be prepared to such an extent.

Gathering his thoughts, Brother Brother Qingmu handed the Oricorio over to Luo Mu and the Comfey for treatment, then stood up and headed toward the communication equipment at the observation post.

The treatment of the Oricorio and Brother Brother Qingmu's failed attempt to communicate with the observation post below were both quick.

Originally, Brother Brother Qingmu and Luo Mu had thought that if they couldn't contact the station from above, they could try communicating between the observation posts within Area Zero.

However, whether it was Observation Post No. 2, No. 3, or No. 4, all were in a state of disconnectedness.

As expected, they would have to continue moving downward.

Seeing the Oricorio jump around energetically again under the Comfey's treatment, the two discussed briefly; although they had stayed at Observation Post No. 1 for less than twenty minutes, they still needed to continue exploring downward.

Perhaps while they were resting, those below were facing a desperate crisis.

At two in the morning, as time passed, the clouds shrouding the Great Crater seemed to thin considerably; bright moonlight filtered through the sparse cloud layer, casting down upon this dark environment, adding a touch of light and greatly improving visibility.

At the very least, they could now see the surrounding environment clearly without using flashlights.

Of course, places slightly farther away still required flashlights for illumination.

Brother Brother Qingmu lowered his voice to remind, "Caves are gradually increasing in number around here; be careful of wild Pokémon suddenly emerging from them."

Luo Mu nodded lightly, slowed his pace, and signaled with his eyes for the Serperior to stay alert to the surrounding environment.

The Serperior's perception abilities were excellent, and it possessed extremely refined energy control techniques; as long as any wild Pokémon in the caves was preparing a move to launch a surprise attack, the Serperior would detect and stop it first.

"Caw~ Caw~ Caw~"

After traveling for another ten-plus minutes, hoarse cries came from the distant sky; having dealt with those Pokémon not long ago, Luo Mu knew these were most likely the calls of Rookidee or their evolved form, Corviknight.

If a Corviknight made such sounds in a residential area, people would only find it a nuisance, but in an environment as perilous as Area Zero, it was somewhat eerie.

A ripple stirred in Brother Brother Qingmu's normally placid eyes; whether to relieve his tension or to suppress his sleepiness, he struck up a conversation with Luo Mu: "Have you read Book Scarlet and Book Violet?"

Without turning his head, Luo Mu replied, "I have."

Brother Brother Qingmu asked, "What are your thoughts on those chapters about the monsters of Area Zero?"

Luo Mu paused his steps; the monsters of Area Zero should be...

Brother Brother Qingmu paid no heed to Luo Mu's answer, simply continuing on his own: "If possible, I would very much like to stay far away from the Paldea Great Crater. Do you know why Director Geeta assigned me to the Medali Gym?"

"The monsters of Area Zero truly exist; therefore, the reason I, as a member of the Elite Four, was assigned to Medali is... to prevent those monsters from leaving the Paldea Great Crater."

Brother Brother Qingmu's voice grew inexplicably somber; he straightened his spine, looked up at the sky, and pointed a finger at a certain spot, where a massive bird clad in jet-black armor was flying overhead, its body so dark it nearly reflected light, clearly visible under the moonlight.

Luo Mu could tell that the Corviknight was inexplicably panicked.

From the perspective of the two, a pitch-black shadow capable of blotting out the moonlight fell upon the panicked, crying Corviknight from above.

The creature casting the shadow moved with extreme speed; a blood-red crescent moon sliced across the sky, and accompanied by the Corviknight's shriek, scarlet blood dripped onto the grass beside the two.

The Corviknight's highly defensive armor seemed like paper paste before that terrifying ferocious beast; between the swings of its sharp, ferocious blue claws, deep wounds were carved into the Corviknight's body.

The Corviknight, letting out a miserable screech, plummeted downward like a kite with a severed string, and by sheer coincidence, it crashed onto the grass not far from where Luo Mu and Brother Brother Qingmu stood.

To the left was the Corviknight struggling to rise and flee, while overhead loomed... a pair of crescent-shaped, scarlet dragon wings that seemed capable of blotting out the sun and sky.

"... When we get back, I must make Director Geeta pay me overtime and compensation for mental distress."

Uttering this sigh, Brother Brother Qingmu tightened his grip on the Poké Ball in his hand.

Meanwhile, in the field of vision of Luo Mu and the Serperior as they looked up at the sky, a dragon seemingly hailing from ancient barbarity had suddenly fixed its gaze upon them.

Those scarlet dragon eyes were filled with violent killing intent; its huge, robust body came soaring forth, dragging along a string of roaring sounds that vibrated one's eardrums.

Luo Mu knew its name very well.

A Paradox Pokémon, a terrifying ancient predator—Roaring Moon.

(End of Chapter)