Chapter 155: My Research Institute Is Turning Into a Stinking Sewer!!!

"Ash, the Pokémon you just sent to Professor Oak, could it be...?" Huo La raised an eyebrow, looked at Ash, a clear mischievous grin curling his mouth, his tone full of teasing.

Ash scratched his head, completely unaware of Huo La's ill intent, and with a helpless expression said, "It's that Muk we met at the Power Plant! That guy emits so much stench, Xiao Xia almost scolded me to death, so I could only send it to Professor Oak for care."

He paused, then curiously looked at Huo La, "By the way Huo La, you also sent a Pokémon just now—what was it?"

"Heh heh......" Huo La laughed more brazenly, his eyes narrowed to slits, "I sent the same as you, also a Muk, but a blue one—'special' compared to ordinary Muk!"

Ash was stunned, and after a few seconds caught on, his eyes instantly brightened: "Exactly! Professor Oak loves studying different Pokémon; two Muk will definitely keep him occupied for a long time!" He was completely unaware that his and Huo La's "thoughtful gesture" was about to bring Professor Oak a huge "disaster."

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away at Professor Oak's Lab, the morning quiet was shattered by a deafening scream.

"No—!!!" Professor Oak clutched his head, two malicious Muk perched on his body, on the verge of tears: "Why were two Muk sent together! My research institute is going to become a stinking sewer—!!"

"Oh right, Ash, why did you suddenly come to Black Cloud City back then?" Huo La finally asked, this had been throwing his plan off, and he felt uneasy without figuring it out.

"Ugh, talking about it makes me angry!" Ash clenched his fist, a look of frustration, "It's all the damned Rocket Team's fault! If they hadn't caused trouble, I'd have gotten the Futaba Badge by now!"

It turned out that shortly after Huo La and Xiao Gang left, Ash, Xiao Xia, and Lilian boarded the bus to Futaba City.

But when the bus stopped at a midway transfer station, the Rocket Team Trio suddenly emerged, demanding to snatch Pikachu, and the two sides fought. When the battle ended, the bus had already departed with the other passengers, leaving the three of them stranded.

As for why they came to Black Cloud City, Ash scratched his head, somewhat helplessly said, "We waited out in the wild for ages and missed the next bus, then we happened upon a rideshare heading to Black Cloud City, so we got on—who knew that as soon as we arrived, there was a power outage, and we had to go to the Power Plant to handle the Muk problem."

Huo La listened, fell into silent contemplation; he had indeed overlooked the Rocket Team variable, as they always manage to disrupt plans in unexpected places.

But this also indirectly confirmed some of his conjectures.

"Since that's the case, you're still planning to go to the Qian Hong City Gym, right?" Huo La shifted the topic, looking at Ash.

"Right!" Ash immediately nodded, his eyes brightening again, "After Black Cloud City, the next stop is Qian Hong City City, then Sunny City; even if I have to head back to Shuangye Town later, I still need to get the Qian Hong City Badge first!"

Huo La pondered a few seconds, raised his hand and patted Ash's shoulder: "Then keep following the original plan; after passing Qian Hong City City, I intend to change route and skip Sunny City."

"Huh?" Ash was stunned, a puzzled expression, "Huo La, where are you headed? After Qian Hong City City, the most direct gym is in Red Lotus Town, and the Red Lotus Gym there is famous—aren't you going to challenge it together?"

"Red Lotus Gym, huh..." Huo La shook his head, his tone casual, "Forget it, I'm afraid of heat. Red Lotus Town is all volcanic terrain; just thinking of the temperature makes me uninterested."

"Oh, I see." Ash, though a bit disappointed, didn't press further, immediately clenched his fist, his eyes full of fighting spirit, "Then I'll push forward, grab the Qian Hong City Badge first, then head to the Red Lotus Gym for a challenge!"

"Go for it, I have confidence in you." Huo La smiled, cheering him, then added, "Xiao Gang and I are preparing to leave Black Cloud City this afternoon, heading to Qian Hong City City first."

"That fast?" Ash scratched his head, a bit surprised, "I was still thinking of battling you again this afternoon."

"Not really urgent; Black Cloud City was just a temporary stop for Xiao Gang and me." Huo La waved his hand, then deliberately teased, "Besides, aren't you also heading to the Qian Hong City Gym? I'll scout ahead, giving the gym leader some rest time so he can face you at his best—otherwise, if I wear him out, your win won't feel rewarding, right?"

"Alright!" Ash's fighting spirit ignited instantly, he nodded vigorously, "Then I'll set out for Qian Hong City City tomorrow as well!"

In the room, Huo La was bending over, packing his luggage.

Gastly's translucent figure floated back and forth between the chandelier and the wardrobe, black mist occasionally brushed the wall before quickly dissipating.

"I tell you, Old Ghost, aren't you tired floating around the room like that?" Huo La zipped his backpack, straightened up to look at it, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Heh heh heh... little ghost..." Gastly suddenly halted in front of Huo La, its ghostly face drawing closer, eyes flashing with curiosity, "That Ash kid met you again; you must have guessed the outcome and came to verify, right?"

Mentioning this, Huo La's previously relaxed expression dimmed a bit; he walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold water, drank it in one gulp before speaking slowly, "I'd say it verified part of it. I had long prepared for meeting him again, but actually encountering him in Black Cloud City still surprised me a bit."

Gastly circled him, mist sweeping over the cup on the table, leaving a chill: "Little ghost, what are you scheming? What do you want to change?"

Huo La's hand holding the cup paused, fingertips touching the icy rim, silent for a few seconds.

He lifted his eyes to Gastly, his gaze less teasing than usual, more serious: "Can I trust you?"

"No!" Gastly answered without hesitation, resolutely, its ghostly face deliberately tilted, tone teasing, "I'm just an employee paid by you, okay~~~ Talking about 'trust' with you, I'd rather you give me a few more bags of Ghost-type Pokémon Snacks."

Huo La: "..."

He looked at Gastly's "pay me to work" demeanor, rolled his eyes helplessly, placed the empty cup on the table: "Fine, let's pretend I didn't ask. Since it's the hiring period, you have to stick with me, protect my basic safety."

"Heh heh heh, that's more like it!" Gastly immediately floated onto his shoulder, mist lightly brushing his ear, "So we head to Qian Hong City City this afternoon? I heard the Poison-type Pokémon at the Qian Hong City Gym are troublesome; shall I help you secretly 'scare' the gym leader?"

Huo La brushed away its mist, grabbed his backpack and headed for the door: "No need, a proper challenge is more fun. Let's go, don't keep Xiao Gang waiting too long."

Gastly laughed loudly and followed, its form gradually merging into Huo La's body: "If you can't win, just pull out your Rocket Team Badge; I think the opponent will give the Rocket Team some face, Heh heh!!!"

Huo La: "......"