Chapter 30: The Organization of Truth

Zhao Fang was in no rush to end the battle, so he engaged Plata for another round. This time, he pitted his Charmander against the Koffing that Plata had captured not long ago. Upon seeing the Koffing, Zhao Fang admitted he felt a strong urge to contact Officer Jenny to investigate Plata’s background; the Pokémon this guy used felt far too similar to those favored by dark organizations.

Facing the Koffing, Charmander demonstrated its prowess. A single reinforced Fire Fang was enough to leave the Koffing nearly incapacitated. Zhao Fang was quite satisfied with this; the battle went exactly as he had anticipated, with Charmander making quick work of its opponent without even needing to use its hidden move, Dragon Claw.

After the match, Zhao Fang exchanged contact information with Plata. Since Plata was not a Pokédex holder, Zhao Fang would have to reach him by phone.

Zhao Fang walked back to the hotel alone, as Plata had to stay behind to help the staff clean up the sludge on the training field. After all, his Muk’s Sludge Wave had rendered the entire area unusable. It was safe to assume that, aside from Muk and Grimer, no other Pokémon would enjoy such a foul-smelling mud pit.

[May: You jerk, Zhao Fang! How could you just leave me behind! How did you do on your test? Don't worry if you didn't feel great about it; I’ll help you study!] Lying on his bed, Zhao Fang couldn't help but chuckle as he read the message from May. Given May’s grasp of electrical engineering, Zhao Fang felt that if he studied with her, he would end up confusing everything he had already learned.

Although May was excellent at Pokémon knowledge and breeding, she was a total academic disaster when it came to other subjects. Zhao Fang was already taking exams, while May was still struggling and frowning in the classroom.

Still, Zhao Fang knew May was just worried he might be upset if he hadn't done well, so he cheerfully replied that everything was absolutely fine. He then took the study materials Cynthia had given him from his backpack and began to study the ancient script.

For some time now, Zhao Fang had been studying these ancient characters. While he still couldn't quite grasp the underlying logic, he could now piece together and guess the meaning behind some ancient texts and stone tablets.

"Let me try to translate this," Zhao Fang murmured. After finishing his study session, he closed his eyes and began to recall the paper he had seen on Mount Coronet—the one pressed beneath Giratina’s scale.

Although the characters still looked strange, Zhao Fang had managed to understand some of the vocabulary. Even with the parts he still couldn't decipher, he had managed to translate a rough summary.

"Hmm... Necrozma attacks Arceus, plan half-succeeded? Giratina betrays the light that shatters the Distortion World? The Human-God Authority Truth Organization?" Zhao Fang muttered to himself, then opened his eyes, looking bewildered.

While the paper couldn't be fully translated, Zhao Fang had managed to get the gist of it. The only lead he had at the moment was that this ancient group of gray-robed figures seemed to be an organization called "Truth." Combined with the inscriptions Cynthia had found on the altar, Zhao Fang had a rough idea of what these people were trying to achieve.

"That is truly audacious. And what does it mean that Giratina betrayed them? Did it betray Arceus, or did it betray Truth?" Zhao Fang was puzzled.

A theory began to form in his mind: this organization called Truth was likely using the abilities of Ultra Beasts to oppose, or perhaps even hunt, Legendary Pokémon. Why they would do such a thing, however, remained unclear. It seemed he needed to accelerate his studies; only when he could fully translate the contents of that paper would he truly understand this organization.

Filled with confusion and unease, Zhao Fang drifted into a deep sleep. That night’s dream was once again spent in total darkness, leaving him feeling somewhat disappointed.

When he woke up the next morning, Zhao Fang impatiently checked his test results. Seeing that he had passed and that his electrician’s grid-access permit had been issued, he finally let out a sigh of relief. With this permit, he could challenge the Electric-type Gym, though he wondered who his opponent would be.

After picking up his permit at the testing center and sending a photo of it to May, Zhao Fang hurried to the entrance of the Electric-type Gym. Upon walking inside, he noticed quite a few other challengers—presumably trainers who had also passed their electrician’s exam yesterday and were here to challenge the gym today.

Zhao Fang stood at the back of the line, handed his trainer card to the staff, and received his challenge number tag.

"An Elite Gym Trainer? Room Five." Looking at the tag, Zhao Fang didn't hesitate and headed straight to the door of Room Five. Only when he saw what was in front of the door did he understand why the electrician’s permit was required.

The entrance switch was actually an exposed circuit board, and the indicator light next to it was red. Zhao Fang had to use the knowledge he had acquired to repair the circuit board and turn the light green.

"These trainers are certainly multi-talented. I wonder if Cynthia knows how to do electrical work," Zhao Fang sighed, picking up the tools nearby to begin his work.

Fortunately, the circuit board wasn't difficult, and he was able to solve it easily with what he had learned. He quickly cleared the puzzle, opened the door, and walked inside, staring in utter disbelief at the "Elite Gym Trainer" before him.

"Hahaha, not bad, kid! To crack my puzzle so quickly—then let's battle! If you want the Voltage Badge, you’ll have to beat me!" Zhao Fang’s mouth twitched as he looked at the slightly stout old man standing before him with his arms crossed.

"You’re Gym Leader Wattson, aren't you?" Zhao Fang recognized the man instantly; his highly distinctive hairstyle and facial features made it unmistakable. Wattson, the leader of the Electric-type Gym and a powerful trainer. But this didn't make sense—Zhao Fang was a rookie with only two badges; he shouldn't be challenging a Gym Leader yet.

"Oh? You recognize me? Yes, that’s right, I’m Wattson. Enough talk, I’m your opponent today, so make your move!" Wattson looked at Zhao Fang with keen interest, though he soon urged him on impatiently. A referee stepped forward to announce the battle rules.

Zhao Fang felt a headache coming on. Although he didn't know why his opponent had turned out to be the Gym Leader himself, he had to admit he was feeling a bit excited. A Gym Leader was certainly not an opponent to be taken lightly.