Chapter 68: For World Peace!

Bang! Bang! Bang...!

The deeper he ventured into the cavern, the more distinct the rhythmic clatter of heavy impact became. N maintained a composed expression as he quickened his pace, his footsteps completely silent against the stone floor.

Finally, arriving at a massive cavern opening, he located the source of the noise.

"Search faster, don't slack off! Let me repeat myself: this operation is for Team Plasma's grand ideal! We will harness the power of the ultimate hunter to bring peace to the world!"

"For world peace!!"

N lightly tugged down the brim of his cap, peering through the narrow gap to observe the layout of the cavern. These individuals claiming to fight for world peace were all members of Team Plasma.

The black-and-white uniforms, coupled with their signature shield emblem… there was no mistake. These were the suspicious characters Kajiki had mentioned.

"..."

Their so-called 'bringing peace to the world' sounded incredibly righteous; anyone uninitiated would think they were a charitable organization. However, considering their destruction of the local Pokémon ecosystem and their illegal mining operations, it was blindingly obvious these people were up to no good.

Team Plasma was exceptionally adept at remaining in the shadows. Very little information leaked about them, as if they were deliberately keeping a low profile, completely unlike the brazen behavior displayed by Team Rocket over in Kanto and the Japan region.

Most people only knew that this organization operated within the Unova region, masking their criminal activities under the noble crusade of liberating Pokémon and returning them to nature.

But what exactly were they mining here?

This was Steel-Rock Cavern. Aside from abundant iron ore deposits, it contained only a scarce amount of Evolution Stone resources. Such materials were readily available in Unova, so why would Team Plasma, which typically confined its activities to Unova, travel all the way to the Japan region?

It was clear that Team Plasma's objective wasn't that simple. They were looking for a 'special item' unique to this location.

"The ultimate hunter..." N murmured in a low voice.

Very few Pokémon were classified as hunters, and fewer still could ever be dubbed the ultimate hunter. Even the ancient ruler of the skies, Aerodactyl, or the prehistoric king, Tyrantrum, had never held that title.

He had thoroughly studied records of Mythical Pokémon, and there happened to be one specific species known as the 'ultimate ancient hunter,' a Bug-type Mythical Pokémon that thrived three hundred million years ago...

Genesect!

The moment this realization clicked, N understood everything. Team Plasma must have tracked down the fossilized remains of a Genesect to the Japan region, which prompted them to dispatch a scouting unit. Given the vast size and rich geography of the Japan region, the presence of a Genesect fossil wouldn't be surprising at all.

"This complicates things. I can't let them get their hands on a Genesect fossil..."

N's gaze turned serious. Genesect was a Legendary-tier Pokémon, a primordial apex predator whose combat prowess easily eclipsed that of the Legendary birds. If Team Plasma secured the fossil, they would undoubtedly find a way to resurrect it. Backed by Genesect's destructive power, Team Plasma would throw the Unova region into absolute chaos.

However, he couldn't afford to act rashly just yet.

"Four, eight... twelve... nineteen people in total, plus an elderly man who seems to be leading them."

Aside from the white-bearded old man clad in a brown robe, there was a woman wearing a high-ranking black-and-white uniform. The rest were ordinary, low-ranking grunts in standard black attire.

Furthermore, a specialized piece of high-tech machinery sat directly in the center of the cavern, emitting constant pulses of energy that rippled through the surrounding space. This was clearly the technology interfering with N's tracking abilities.

The old man in the brown robe was obviously no ordinary trainer; he was likely the commanding officer of this operation. Since N couldn't gauge his exact strength yet, his best option was to wait for an opening to launch a surprise attack.

Crack!

The sharp sound of fracturing stone echoed through the cavern. Every eye in the room, including N's, snapped toward a large boulder not far from his position.

Standing there in sheer bewilderment was a teenage girl with deep blue hair, wearing a white velvet cap adorned with a Poké Ball design. She had materialized out of nowhere, her expression completely horrified. It seemed she hadn't expected the rock she was leaning on to be so fragile, crumbling under the slightest pressure.

Finding herself the center of attention, a strained, miserable smile broke across the girl's cute face.

N: ?

Hiding in the shadows alongside Zorua, N was utterly flabbergasted. Before he could even finalize his battle plan, an interloper had suddenly compromised the area, and at the worst possible moment, right next to him!

"An intruder! Don't let her escape! There might be others nearby, seal off the tunnels and search every corner!!"

The face of the woman leading the grunts instantly contorted with malice. The next second, over a dozen Team Plasma grunts sprang into action, hurling a barrage of standard Poké Balls forward!

Magnemite, Golbat, Grimer, and Zangoose, over a dozen Pokémon materialized in flashes of light, glaring menacingly at the trapped girl.

The blue-haired girl looked entirely helpless as she faced an immediate onslaught from a dozen opposing Pokémon. Under these conditions, even if she grew wings, escaping would be completely impossible!

"Gah, I'm not going down without a fight! Prinplup, use Surf!!"

Without hesitation, the girl unclipped a valuable Luxury Ball and threw it. A blue penguin-like Pokémon with a crown-like golden crest on its head appeared on the battlefield.

Prinplup, the evolved form of the Sinnoh region's starter, Piplup!

The moment Prinplup emerged, it whipped up a massive, tidal wave of water. The cascading surge slammed directly into the approaching Grimer, washing them far backward. However, a ground-bound wave did absolutely nothing to slow down the airborne Golbat and Magnemite closing in from above!

"Gurdurr, use Rock Slide!"

Realizing that keeping under wraps was no longer an option, N reacted instantly, unclipping a sleek Luxury Ball from his belt and tossing it forward. The muscular form of Gurdurr materialized on the field, channeling its immense strength to rip several massive chunks of stone right out of the cavern floor.

Boom!!

Gurdurr delivered a roaring punch to the center of the boulders, shattering them instantly. Countless jagged stone fragments sprayed outward like a shotgun blast, pelting the cavern and swatting the unprotected Team Plasma Pokémon out of the air.

"Huh!?"

Only then did the deep blue-haired girl realize that she wasn't the only intruder hiding in the cavern.