"Leader, Team Galactic's people are far too arrogant! She's just an executive, yet she dared to be so disrespectful to you!"
After Mercury left, Lie Ke spoke indignantly.
Yang Yong remained silent, but the cold look in his eyes clearly betrayed his displeasure.
So what if Team Galactic was powerful?
He was still the leader of a major faction, yet they had given him no face at all.
Yet, considering their strength, Yang Yong could only swallow his anger for now.
"It's fine. Once this operation concludes and we fully seize control of the Ice Dragon's power…"
"Whether it's Team Galactic or Guo Yi—the one who ruined our previous plans—I won't let either of them go. Let's move. It's time to check on the doctor's progress."
Yang Yong snorted coldly.
He then led Lie Ke deeper into the base.
At the base's lowest level, within the laboratory, researchers in white coats hurried around in constant motion.
"Increase the dosage in Bay One!"
"Raise the energy output in Bay Two!"
"Bay Three…"
A man around thirty years old was coordinating the entire operation.
Under his commands, the enormous equipment in the laboratory started humming.
And at the center of that huge machine lay a sleeping Pokémon.
Its spiked snout was uniquely icy-blue. Pale green eyes lacking pupils were framed by a yellow crest-horn atop its head.
Its face and lower jaw matched that icy blue color—like shattered icicles jutting upward into two sharp horns.
Kyurem, the Ice Dragon.
The Seven Sages' ultimate trump card.
Just as Doctor Mu Ma issued his orders, a member of the Seven Sages hurried over. "Doctor Mu Ma, the Leader has arrived."
"The Leader? Where is he? This is perfect timing—I can show him my masterpiece."
Excitement colored Mu Ma's voice.
For a researcher, nothing was more rewarding than seeing years of effort finally bear fruit.
"Doctor Mu Ma, you seem to be in good spirits. I take it everything is proceeding smoothly?"
As he spoke, Yang Yong entered the laboratory with Lie Ke.
Seeing the slumbering Ice Dragon, a fire ignited in his chest.
At last, he too could harness the power of a legendary Pokémon.
"Doctor Mu Ma, how is it going now? Can you make Kyurem serve me?"
Forcing down his excitement, Yang Yong asked for the details.
"It's thanks to the Red Chain you previously acquired, Leader. Upon studying it, we discovered it contained incredibly dense emotional energy."
"I've modified it using my own methods. Leader, please come take a look."
Mu Ma guided Yang Yong over to a glass cylinder half a person's height and as thick as a barrel.
A faint red liquid flowed within it.
"Leader, this is the emotional energy extracted from the Red Chain. By injecting this energy into the Ice Dragon, we can achieve control over it."
Yang Yong was ecstatic at this revelation.
If he could grasp the Ice Dragon's power, there'd be no need to risk cooperating with Team Galactic.
After all Team Galactic's scheme required Yang Yong to find a way to destroy Yunlong Dam.
That was the most critical dam in the south of Dragon Country.
If it were destroyed—the entire south could be devastated by a flood.
Thus, the Pokémon League clearly treated it with the utmost seriousness.
If the plan failed—the Seven Sages would lose all standing in Dragon Country.
Yang Yong immediately urged, "Then inject it right away!"
But at his insistence, Mu Ma showed a bitter expression.
"Leader, this emotional energy can indeed control Kyurem, but only for a limited time."
"Additionally, the chain you brought... it contained less emotional energy than expected. So even if we use all of it, we can only control Kyurem for about three hours."
Team Galactic wasn't foolish.
To prevent the Seven Sages from backing out suddenly, they had obviously withheld some power.
The energy contained in this chain—never mind controlling a major legendary Pokémon, even a Pokémon on Thundurus's level—could only be controlled for a few hours.
And holding Kyurem for over three hours was only possible thanks to Mu Ma's years of research.
Otherwise—with the original chain alone, Kyurem would break free within ten minutes.
Without absorbing Reshiram and Zekrom's power, Kyurem was still a tier below major legendaries like Rayquaza.
Yet a major legendary Pokémon was still immensely powerful—not something ordinary Pokémon could match.
Hearing this, Yang Yong's expression darkened.
"Then are we doomed to remain under Team Galactic's leash forever?"
After all, only Team Galactic knew how to produce the Red Chain. Yang Yong didn't possess such a capability.
Noticing the Leader's expression, Mu Ma lowered his head in shame.
"In the short term, this is the only viable way to control Kyurem. However, if you could supply another chain with enough emotional energy for me to study…"
"I am confident that, eventually, we could control Kyurem even without the chain."
In the ruins where they'd discovered Kyurem, records of methods to control it had indeed been found.
Unfortunately—they had yet to successfully decipher them.
Still, the results of this experiment had provided Mu Ma with plenty of inspiration.
"Looks like I have no choice but to head to Yunlong Dam."
Given the current situation, if Yang Yong wanted to continue obtaining Red Chains, he had no option but to obediently fulfill his end of the agreement.
He turned to Doctor Mu Ma and spoke slowly.
"Doctor Mu Ma, the location for your next experiments may need to change. This time, we might have to rely on Kyurem's power to succeed."
Even though this operation already had Thundurus's support—at Yunlong Dam, the League maintained a Pokémon corps year-round.
So relying solely on Thundurus would still make it challenging to destroy Yunlong Dam.
When the time came, they would inevitably require Kyurem's assistance.
"Understood, Leader."
"I'll have my team start preparing for the transfer immediately."
Doctor Mu Ma had no objections.
Research on the Ice Dragon was at a lull anyway.
Changing locations wouldn't significantly impact their progress.
"Lie Ke, take some people and set up near Yunlong Dam first."
"Remember—be discreet."
"Don't let the League catch any trace of your movements."
Now that Yang Yong had made up his mind, he had to begin preparations immediately.
"Understood, Leader."
Lie Ke saluted with clasped hands, then turned and left the base.
...
Drip, drip!
Staff at Yunlong Dam recorded the rising water level with grim faces.
"Chief Engineer Lin, something feels off!"
"The rainfall hasn't increased these past few days, yet the water level is rising—more than twice as fast as yesterday!"
After all, water wouldn't just rise without reason.
If there wasn't more rainfall, where was all this extra water coming from?
Facing the recorder's confusion, Chief Engineer Lin didn't respond. His brow furrowed deeply as he stared at the lake in the distance.
If something's strange, there must be a cause.
And in this world, whenever something abnormal occurred—the answer was almost always Pokémon.
Very soon, several speedboats appeared on the broad lake surface, heading straight for the dam.
Splash, splash, splash!
The boats sliced through the water, kicking up sprays nearly half a meter high.
Judging by the anxious faces aboard—something significant had definitely happened.
"Chief Engineer Lin, bad news!"
"Chief Engineer Lin, bad news!"
Before the speedboats had even fully docked, workers shouted urgently as they ran toward him.
Seeing this, Chief Engineer Lin hurried over and asked, "Xiao Li, what did you find?"
"Did a Secret Realm appear near the dam?"
The people aboard these speedboats had been specifically dispatched by Chief Engineer Lin to investigate whether any Secret Realms had appeared nearby.
The lake wouldn't rise without reason.
With such a rapid increase, there had to be a source.
With his experience, Chief Engineer Lin immediately thought of Secret Realms.
When a Secret Realm emerged, it connected directly with the real world.
If heavy rain was falling inside a Secret Realm, that water could flow through the connection into the lake.
Thus, early this morning, Chief Engineer Lin had sent out teams to search the area.
"Ch-Chief Engineer Lin… th-there are s-so many Secret Realms!"
Xiao Li gasped for air as he reported. "Dozens of Secret Realms of various sizes appeared deep in the lake, and every single one has heavy rainfall inside."
"That's why the dam's water level is rising."
Hearing this, Chief Engineer Lin couldn't help but shiver.
"Dozens?"
"Xiao Li, are you certain?"
You had to understand—even at the peak of flood season, the number of Secret Realms appearing had never exceeded ten.
Yet now—with flood season still weeks away, the number of Secret Realms had multiplied several times.
After catching his breath, Xiao Li continued, "Chief Engineer Lin, absolutely!"
"And there are definitely more, not fewer. We could only investigate two-thirds of the area before being blocked by Secret Realms and unable to proceed further."
"Chief Engineer Lin, this isn't a small matter—we must inform the Pokémon League immediately. If the frenzied Pokémon from those Secret Realms break out, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
If Pokémon from dozens of Secret Realms attacked simultaneously, the dam really could be destroyed.
"Right, right—I'll report to the League immediately!"
"And request urgent support."
Chief Engineer Lin understood the gravity of the situation. He didn't dare delay for even a second.
However—just as the warning of impending floods spread throughout the southern regions, deep within the Qinling Mountains in the north, a Secret Realm filled with Fire-type Pokémon quietly emerged.
Several Fire-type Pokémon, their eyes glowing ominously red, emerged from the Secret Realm's entrance and swiftly plunged into the dense forest…
---
T/N: poor country... why isn't eagle country or bear country dealing with all these :SOB:
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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