Chapter 15: Deadly Duel
Chapter 15: The Deadly Battle
In a spacious office, a refined man with gold-rimmed glasses lounged lazily in his chair.
A knocking sound echoed.
“Come in.”
A competent woman dressed in a simple black-and-white work outfit entered, pushing the door open.
“Minister, the results from Louis and the others have been tallied. Please take a look.”
She bowed slightly, placing the documents respectfully on the desk.
The refined man raised the elegant teacup with his right hand, taking a small sip, while his left hand picked up the documents, glancing through them with little interest.
A quiet atmosphere filled the office as the woman waited patiently to the side.
After pulling out a few pages and laying them on the desk, the man looked up at her.
“These few are acceptable. Send them to Logistics.”
“As for the rest, put them all in the Shadow Death Arena.”
“Yes, sir.”
The woman swiftly tidied the desk and left the room.
Silence returned to the office, with only the faint scent of tea lingering in the air.
...
Lu Yun was jolted awake by a sudden shaking.
“Where… am I?”
He peered out through the semi-transparent wall of the Pokéball.
Utter darkness surrounded him, so dense that he couldn’t see his own hand in front of his face. Not a trace of light could be found.
Just as confusion set in, a sudden flash like the dawn sun burst forth.
Lu Yun squinted against the blinding light.
Moments later, a large hand appeared above the Pokéball, grasping it and pulling it out of a pocket.
Only then did Lu Yun see his surroundings.
An extremely spacious room blazed with the glare of incandescent lamps embedded in the ceiling. The minimalist black floor was smeared with faint traces of red blood, and bold surveillance cameras jutted from the corners like eyes from another world.
His own Pokéball was gripped by a man in black; opposite him stood another black-clad man holding a Pokéball as well.
Lu Yun observed every detail, his heart sinking with a growing sense of dread.
“Is this… the Pokémon League?”
No time to think—a surge of force shot from the hand holding his Pokéball.
With a harsh whoosh, the Pokéball was hurled into the air.
With a crack, beams of red light shot from the Pokéball to the floor, and Lu Yun was abruptly released.
On the other side, the black-clad man also tossed out a Pokéball, unleashing an Arbok with a vicious expression.
Immediately, both men left the room together.
Bang! The door was sealed shut.
Lu Yun stared at the Arbok slowly advancing toward him, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
“This is definitely not the League!”
“What kind of legitimate trainer would put a Mareep and an Arbok together like this?!”
Even a fool would know that Lu Yun was now far outside the jurisdiction of the League.
He had no idea what had happened while he was unconscious, but he understood one thing: if he didn’t focus, he would die in the jaws of the Arbok before him.
Meanwhile, in an underground base…
Min Wen finished her workday, collapsing from exhaustion onto her desk.
As an auxiliary member of “Dark Star,” Min Wen was mainly responsible for part of the organization’s database management and maintenance.
It seemed the combat division had scored big today, filling the database with a slew of new Pokémon entries. Min Wen barely finished processing them as the workday ended.
She decided to rest a bit, rewarding herself while she waited for the end of her shift.
Glancing around to make sure no colleagues were watching, Min Wen picked up her phone, operated it for a moment, and opened a deeply hidden app.
This was software developed by the Dark Star tech division, with the highest security level, providing members with a place for online communication and recreation.
She deftly entered her credentials and opened a section resembling a live broadcast room.
It was the live feed from the Shadow Death Arena—a place run by Dark Star for disposing of Pokémon with inferior breeds or limited potential.
Occasionally, though, battles would reveal a missed Pokémon with extraordinary hidden talents. Such cases would be reclaimed by the organization and returned to storage.
From the leadership’s perspective, the Shadow Death Arena was ideal—a recreational venue for members and a way to catch any overlooked talents. Thus, it had always been maintained in this form.
Min Wen entered the live room. Upon seeing a Mareep and an Arbok in the arena, she immediately lost interest.
“This is just too boring!”
“That Mareep looks scared out of its wits, haha.”
“I wonder, could the Arbok swallow the whole Mareep in one bite?”
“Probably… I saw it swallow a Nidoran whole before.”
“It’s starting—the Arbok’s moving.”
On the screen, lines of mocking comments scrolled by.
Min Wen watched, her interest piqued just a bit despite the dull fight. The outcome was obvious, but it was a decent way to pass the time.
Back in the Shadow Death Arena…
Lu Yun had no idea he was the subject of so many people’s ridicule and amusement.
But perhaps, even if he knew, it would only make him more determined.
After all, the better he performed, the better his chance of being released.
The Arbok eyed the seemingly petrified Mareep before it with utter contempt.
Like a cat toying with a mouse, it didn’t rush to attack but circled Lu Yun, watching with perverse amusement to see how he would react.
Lu Yun, however, fixed his gaze on the Arbok, his mind racing.
“Length about 1.5 meters, tail has a not-so-long rattlesnake-like segment.”
“This Arbok’s level shouldn’t be high, and it clearly underestimates me.”
“Maybe I can use that to win in one strike.”
With his plan in mind, Lu Yun sprang into action.
“Heh,” Min Wen chuckled at the screen as the Mareep suddenly let out a plaintive cry and bolted toward the exit.
“That silly Mareep finally figured it out?”
“Haha, watching it run is killing me.”
“Hurry up and end this—next match, please.”
“Eat him, Arbok!”
The chat was awash with ridicule.
The Arbok, watching the fleeing Mareep, only grew more disdainful.
It gave chase, its body faintly glowing white.
“Wrap!”
It would strangle this Mareep to death.
The Arbok’s mind teemed with malice.
Suddenly, just as the Mareep screeched to a halt, it raised its tail.
The orange, crystal-like orb at the tip erupted with waves of yellow electricity.
“Thunder Wave!”
The Arbok hadn’t expected the typically timid Mareep to attack.
Caught off guard, it was ensnared by a brilliant yellow ring of electricity.
Zzzt!
The current raced through the Arbok from head to tail.
Sparks leapt across its body.
Its muscles seized and went numb; rage flooded its mind.
“To think I’d trip up here… Next time, I’ll make sure to torment this Mareep before I devour it.”
Suddenly, as the Arbok’s body seized up, a bright, deep blue light flared before its eyes.