Chapter 169: I Neither Change My Name nor Hide My Identity
The video continued playing.
For nearly the next half month, Miori settled down inside the cavern.
Her daily routine was busy yet consistent—she changed the Pokémon’s dressings in the morning, took a few bites of the ration biscuits in her backpack at noon, and continued changing dressings throughout the afternoon. Occasionally, she also needed to perform follow-up examinations on the more seriously injured Pokémon.
"I finally understand how difficult Nurse Joy’s job is. Changing bandages, administering medicine, and conducting rehabilitation training for more than twenty Pokémon for three consecutive weeks—even someone made of iron couldn’t endure this."
Miori stretched and rose to her feet. She then turned toward Zeraora, who was sprawled across a rock.
"Couldn’t you at least pay me a salary? I got paid when I worked for my mom. You’re making me do all this for free."
Zeraora remained sprawled across the rock without even opening its eyes.
"Hey! I’m talking to you!"
Miori planted her hands on her hips.
"Look at you. You lie there every day like a giant yellow caterpillar, opening your mouth whenever food arrives and extending a paw whenever it’s time for medicine. Do you have any idea how much one bottle of this medicine costs?"
Zeraora’s ears twitched.
It then rolled over and turned its back toward Miori.
Miori took a deep breath and was preparing to launch into an extended lecture when an ear-piercing explosion suddenly came from outside the cavern.
Boom—!
Zeraora’s ears instantly stood upright.
The entire Pokémon sprang from the rock. All traces of laziness vanished from its eyes, replaced by an exceptionally sharp vigilance.
Miori and Zeraora exchanged a glance before rushing outside together.
The sky had already grown dark.
Six flashlight beams shone through the forest.
Six people.
All six wore professional poaching equipment—capture-net launchers, electromagnetic cages, tranquilizer guns, and infrared detectors. They had brought everything they could possibly need.
The bald, one-eyed man leading them grinned, revealing a row of gold-capped molars.
"I told you there had to be something behind this waterfall! The detector is covered in red dots. Brothers, we’re going to make a fortune!"
"B-b-b-boss..."
The tall, thin poacher beside him pointed toward Zeraora, his tongue practically tying itself into knots.
"L-look over there... W-what kind of Pokémon is that?!"
"Zeraora?"
The bald, one-eyed man swallowed.
"A Mythical Pokémon... A living Mythical Pokémon..."
"Boss, how much is that thing worth?"
A short, fat poacher leaned closer and asked.
"Idiot!"
The one-eyed man struck the shorter poacher on the forehead.
"You can’t even put a price on a Pokémon like that! Hurry and prepare the capture nets!"
The six poachers rapidly spread out.
Their movements were disturbingly practiced. They were clearly veterans.
"Wait."
The tall poacher’s flashlight suddenly stopped moving.
"Is there someone over there?"
All six beams simultaneously turned toward a rock beside the waterfall.
Someone was sitting on it.
The figure wore a gray waterproof cloak, its hood concealing most of their face. However, vivid bright-green hair could be seen beneath its edge.
An Emolga sat in their arms, happily gnawing on an apple.
The one-eyed man raised his tranquilizer gun and cautiously stepped forward.
"Hey! Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"
Miori slowly rose.
Her cloak fluttered dramatically in the night wind as she spoke in an exceptionally forced, profound voice:
"I neither change my name nor hide my identity."
"I am the leader of Team Plasma—"
"N!!!"
At precisely the right moment, a gust of wind swept through the valley, causing the hem of her cloak to flap dramatically.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Skyla]: Hahahahaha! Miori, what are you doing, Miori?!
[Valerie]: She said she’s N.
[Diantha]: Did spending half a month trapped inside that cavern finally drive this child insane?
[Volkner]: And where did she even get that cloak and wig?!
[Iris]: Is this the mark of a true actress? She can switch identities anytime and anywhere.
[Dawn]: Miori even copied N’s voice perfectly. That’s incredible.
[Skyla]: Of course! Anything produced by a major studio is guaranteed to be exceptional! @Elesa
[Elesa]: Skyla, open the door. I’m coming over to deliver some warmth!
[Skyla]: This is bad! Sister, what should I do in this situation? @Diantha
[Diantha]: She’s already reached your door. You’re on your own now, sister.
[Roxie]: Uh... Skyla is going to be all right, isn’t she?
[Lenora]: They know where to draw the line. There’s no need to worry.
The video continued playing.
The six poachers simultaneously froze.
Then they burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahaha! The leader of Team Plasma?! You?!"
The one-eyed man laughed so hard that he clutched his stomach.
"Then I’m Alder, the Champion of Unova!!"
The cold smile remained on Miori’s face, but her mind was already racing.
What was happening?
She knew that Team Plasma was a household name as an evil organization throughout Unova. That was precisely why she had gone out of her way to purchase this wig and impersonate N.
In her imagination, ordinary criminals should have fled in terror after hearing N’s name.
Apparently, N wasn’t as intimidating as she had expected.
Left with no alternative, Miori took out a Poké Ball.
"You don’t believe me? Would you like to test that theory?"
The one-eyed man stopped laughing, his expression becoming sinister.
"Fine. Since you claim to be Team Plasma’s leader, let’s see how capable you really are. Brothers, attack!"
All six poachers simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.
Red light flashed, and six Pokémon landed on the ground—
One Drapion, two Seviper, one Toxicroak, and two Mightyena.
Every one of them was either a Dark type or Poison type.
"Zeraora."
Miori glanced toward the large feline beside her.
"How many do you want?"
Zeraora didn’t respond.
It immediately transformed into a streak of lightning and charged forward.
"What an impatient cat."
Miori helplessly shook her head before throwing her own Poké Ball.
Red light flashed.
Luxray landed firmly on all four paws. Blue electrical arcs crackled across its mane, while its golden eyes shone like two searchlights in the darkness.
Miori swept one hand forward.
"Luxray, use Wild Charge!"
Golden electricity enveloped Luxray’s entire body.
It transformed into a bolt of lightning and crashed directly into the poachers’ group of Pokémon.
One Seviper was sent flying and ended up hanging from a tree.
Toxicroak convulsed violently from the electricity.
The two Mightyena crashed into each other, their four legs becoming tangled as they collapsed in a heap.
In less than thirty seconds, all six Pokémon were lying on the ground.
The one-eyed man’s jaw nearly dropped to his chest.
"...What kind of ridiculous strength is that?!"
Zeraora’s side was even more straightforward.
It didn’t use a single move.
It simply swung its paws and smashed the poachers’ equipment into scrap metal, one piece at a time.