Chapter 256: Roaring Moon: Meng Lei Gu, Have You Betrayed Us?

Communication with Meng Lei Gu could not be described as smooth; it was more like talking past each other.

Meng Lei Gu could understand Luo Mu's words, but that did not mean Luo Mu could comprehend the meaning within its sounds.

Originally, they could have relied on the Monarch Snake, which knew a few characters, to translate, but the Monarch Snakes all declared themselves completely unable to communicate with Meng Lei Gu or understand the meaning of its cries.

This left Luo Mu speechless; he completely failed to grasp how this world's language system worked—it was simply absurd.

At this moment, Moru, whom Luo Mu had brought along, proved useful; the fact that someone so young had joined Orin's research team was sufficient proof of Moru's extraordinary intelligence.

As the saying goes, three cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang; fortunately, Meng Lei Gu could understand Luo Mu's speech and nod or shake its head, so through a combination of guessing and inference by the four Pokémon alongside Luo Mu and Moru, they finally figured out a bit of Meng Lei Gu's purpose and the reason it hadn't destroyed Observation Station No. 4.

According to Meng Lei Gu, it came from a vaster land; the environment surrounding Area Zero was utterly strange to it, and it wished to return to the place where it lived.

Orin and Sada were the two people it had encountered just before being brought to this Area Zero.

The moment it met Orin and Sada, it appeared in this strange land of Area Zero.

The attack it unleashed to intimidate Orin and Sada landed on the unoccupied Observation Station No. 3, while Orin and Sada were injured by flying architectural debris.

It wandered near Observation Station No. 4 because Meng Lei Gu wanted Orin and Sada to hurry up and send it back.

After compiling Meng Lei Gu's story, Luo Mu and Moru exchanged a glance, momentarily falling into a dead silence.

So it can be played like this?

Orin and Sada actually went to the place where Meng Lei Gu originally lived?

Weren't they supposed to have established their research institute at the lowest level of Area Zero?

All these doubts pointed in one direction—Orin and Sada had once traveled to the era where Meng Lei Gu resided.

After unexpectedly reconciling with Meng Lei Gu, Luo Mu took some healing medicine from his backpack and began treating it.

At first, Meng Lei Gu felt slightly uncomfortable; it had never allowed other creatures to climb on its body, let alone deal with the strange object in Luo Mu's hand spraying a cooling liquid that made its body shudder.

Even so, Meng Lei Gu dared not make the slightest move; it certainly did not want to be beaten by those four Pokémon eyeing it hungrily.

Fortunately, after Luo Mu finished spraying over a dozen bottles of healing medicine he carried, Meng Lei Gu indeed felt an itch at its wounds, signaling its stamina was recovering.

Meng Lei Gu was very familiar with this sensation; it meant it was already recovering.

Meng Lei Gu thought this being who called his race "human" and his name "Luo Mu" was truly miraculous; noticing Luo Mu was about to dismount, Meng Lei Gu specially lowered its body a bit more.

After climbing down from Meng Lei Gu, Luo Mu looked at the dozen or so empty bottles of healing medicine on the ground, lost in thought.

The larger the Pokémon, the greater the consumption; no wonder many ordinary families choose to raise smaller-sized Pokémon.

Moru squatted carefully to the side, eyes shining, regretting only that he hadn't brought a camera.

That scene just now was likely a precious image of humanity peacefully coexisting with a Paradox Pokémon for the first time; failing to capture it was such a pity!

Meng Lei Gu's strength was already considerable, and with Luo Mu using healing medicine on it as if it cost nothing, its condition improved significantly in no time.

Now that it was thoroughly confirmed that this rare, communicable Meng Lei Gu was harmless, Luo Mu's mind began to turn.

Why not have Meng Lei Gu give Roaring Moon an electric therapy session later?

Thinking it, he did it; since the two professors had not yet awakened, Luo Mu wanted to get everything done during this gap, so he immediately explained his idea to Meng Lei Gu—

See if they could communicate with Roaring Moon; if not, try to tame it; if that failed too, they would have no choice but to release it.

Meng Lei Gu looked completely bewildered; Roaring Moon? What was that thing?

As for Moru, he even dashed back to the research institute to fetch the camera used during the expedition, determined to capture precious footage of human contact with a Paradox Pokémon this time.

Regarding Roaring Moon, Luo Mu was far more cautious than when communicating with Meng Lei Gu.

First, he dispatched Swampert to higher ground, ready to intercept Roaring Moon should it try to flee; then he had Monarch Snake weave a large net with Vine Whip to restrict Roaring Moon's movements at any moment, and instructed Mimikyu to lie in wait in the shadows near where Roaring Moon would be released.

With Dragonite and Meng Lei Gu staying by his side, ready to strike depending on Roaring Moon's condition, Luo Mu unlocked the Ultra Ball and released Roaring Moon, which had not ceased struggling for a single moment—

Covered in wounds, Roaring Moon's first reaction upon emerging was to unleash a hate-filled Dragon Roar at Luo Mu, erupting with the flames it had been brewing in its mouth for so long!

Luo Mu narrowed his eyes, and Dragonite beside him immediately spouted a Hydro Pump, extinguishing Roaring Moon's weakened Flamethrower due to its poor condition, and drenching it in water for good measure.

This was called—manual Soak.

"Roar—Aang!!"

The utterly disheveled Roaring Moon grew even angrier, its scarlet dragon eyes fixing deadly on Dragonite as it continuously emitted roars from its mouth.

Luo Mu had no doubt that if Roaring Moon ever got the chance, it would tear Dragonite to shreds.

It seemed he needed to ramp up the intensity first to make Roaring Moon behave.

Luo Mu snapped his fingers with his right hand; Meng Lei Gu gave him a speechless look, electricity beginning to flicker within its mane before shooting out as several bolts of lightning toward Roaring Moon.

Zzzzt—zzzt—zzzt—

Meng Lei Gu's strength was already far superior to Roaring Moon's, not to mention Dragonite had manually applied the Soak status to Roaring Moon; this single Thunderbolt instantly electrocuted the previously energetic and vengeful Roaring Moon, knocking it flat.

Covered in char, Roaring Moon lay powerless on the ground, its ferocious gaze unchanged.

Luo Mu attempted to communicate with it several times, all ending in failure; he tried using pain to force submission, but Roaring Moon's man-eating ferocity remained utterly unaltered.

In the end, Luo Mu could only reach one conclusion—

Some Paradox Pokémon are truly untamable, filled with a wildness that is difficult to eradicate; even if forced into submission, they would eventually explode one day, and he could not bring such a ticking time bomb back to his farm.

Compared to that, this fellow Meng Lei Gu was truly an anomaly among anomalies.

Stared at by Luo Mu as if he were observing a rare animal, Meng Lei Gu shook its body somewhat uncomfortably; seeing that guy relying on its blood-red wings, it finally understood—so "Roaring Moon" referred to this creature.

In their era, these guys were extremely ferocious, so failed communication was entirely normal.

Even among some of its own kind, Meng Lei Gu found it difficult to comprehend their thoughts.

Meng Lei Gu bent its long neck downward and delivered another close-range Thunderbolt to Roaring Moon, completely knocking the creature unconscious.

Having done all this, Meng Lei Gu glanced sideways at Luo Mu; now he should use that strange ball to capture this fellow.

As a result, Luo Mu not only didn't move, but his gaze actually collided with Meng Lei Gu's.

Meng Lei Gu:?

Luo Mu: (ω)

Come to think of it, Meng Lei Gu should count as a Paradox species of Raikou; although its neck was a bit long, overall it was still covered in quite a thick layer of fur.

If the Thunder Duke equals a large feline equals a cat, then isn't the Meng Lei Gu, in some sense, a fluffy big cat?

That thick golden fur should feel quite nice to the touch.

Luo Mu's eyes glowed slightly.

(End of Chapter)