The Perpetual Motion Machine

Lance rode Charizard to the gap in the middle of the turbine. After comparing it with the Conversion Device in his hand, he took a deep breath and carefully placed it inside.

No one knew whether it would work, but it seemed that this was all they could do now.

Click!

With a crisp sound, the Conversion Device fitted seamlessly into the turbine without looking out of place at all.

Lance visibly sighed in relief at the sight.

Whether it worked or not, at least there was no problem installing the device here. Even if it failed to work, could the situation possibly get any worse than it already was?

Buzz—

With a deep, muffled rumble, the turbine's rotation gradually began to speed up under Xia Yan and Lance's watchful eyes.

Crackle, crackle.

The electric current wrapped around the turbine grew increasingly intense. Below, the Voltorb and Electrode suddenly became much more energetic.

The electricity spilling from their bodies was drawn into the turbine, and the needle on the output meter in the control room began to rise slowly.

The amount of electricity being transmitted to Goldenrod City had increased!

Yet an even more remarkable sight appeared within the power-generating turbine. After the two kinds of Pokémon fed electricity into the turbine, a small portion of it was separated and flowed back toward the Voltorb and Electrode as food.

So that was how it worked.

No wonder those Pokémon had become so listless. This seemingly small Conversion Device played a crucial role in the Power Plant.

It absorbed the electricity generated by Electric-type Pokémon while also returning a portion as their food, using the unique traits of Pokémon themselves to generate power.

This was practically a perpetual motion machine.

No wonder the Pokémon World rarely relied on conventional energy sources for power generation anymore. Pokémon-generated electricity was more environmentally friendly, more stable, and produced more than enough output.

He had to admit that whoever designed this Conversion Device was a genius.

Lance rode Charizard back to the control room, and the surprise in his eyes was no less than Xia Yan's.

"So the key to the Power Plant is that device." Lance recalled Charizard and could not help saying it.

"But this should only be an old model that was replaced. The one that was taken away might have been even more effective." Xia Yan stared at the intricate device.

"Mm."

Lance nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the vacant special rooms.

Noticing his gaze, Xia Yan said, "Leave the Pokémon that escaped to the Pokémon League. There were so many casualties here that they will definitely investigate thoroughly. The Power Plant is such an important place, yet it was captured so easily."

This time, it truly was the Pokémon League's responsibility. Their defenses around the Power Plant had been inadequate.

"We should leave. We can't handle what comes next."

The two then gathered their Pokémon and headed out of the Power Plant.

Neither of them felt happy simply because they had restored the Power Plant. Instead, the fate of its staff filled them with different thoughts.

But one thing was certain: both of them had made Team Rocket their primary target.

To silently seize the entire Power Plant without anyone knowing how long it had been before it was discovered—and to suppress the news so completely—was not something an ordinary person or organization could accomplish.

They had encountered some trouble when entering the control room, but leaving proved much smoother.

When the two arrived outside the Power Plant, they happened to run into a group of Pokémon League Trainers flying over from Goldenrod City on their respective Flying-type Pokémon.

"Lance!" At the front was a middle-aged man riding a Pidgeot. He appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in neat work clothes, with pronounced crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.

Pidgeot was the fastest. After he landed, the others riding Flying-type Pokémon arrived shortly afterward.

A smile immediately appeared on Lance's face when he saw the man. "Mr. Azir."

Xia Yan subtly shifted his footing and moved behind Lance. After glancing over Azir, his eyes settled on the imposing Pidgeot.

Its sleek brown feathers, broad folded wings, sharp talons, and piercing eyes that rivaled an eagle's all stood out. The two-colored crest atop its head was one of Pidgeot's defining features, and from that crest, one could judge how well it had been raised, as well as its age and even its strength.

Xia Yan guessed that this Pidgeot was at least Elite Level, perhaps even stronger.

Reading a large number of books continuously had given him information and knowledge beyond what the Pokémon games offered.

Observing a Pokémon's appearance to infer its strength and condition was a habit he had gradually developed after studying Pokémon Breeder knowledge.

Knowing oneself and one's enemy was the only way to better handle whatever might happen in the future.

"The moment I received your message, I brought people over immediately. I couldn't help it—another matter of equal seriousness had tied me up before this, so I wasn't able to focus on the Power Plant. You've really helped us this time. I've already received word that Goldenrod City's power supply is being restored." Azir spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

Lance understood at once.

So that was why the Pokémon League had not paid enough attention to such an important place as the Power Plant. Their attention had been drawn elsewhere, which explained everything.

He humbly replied, "Not at all."

"And this young man is?" Azir's gaze passed Lance and fell on Xia Yan.

Only then did Lance realize. He quickly pulled Xia Yan forward and introduced him with a smile. "Mr. Azir, this is Xia Yan. He's my good friend. Without him this time, I couldn't have done it alone."

"Oh?" Azir's eyes lit up, though he was also somewhat surprised.

He knew Lance's identity and background very well, and he was equally familiar with Lance's strength. For someone who could earn such praise from Lance...

"Xia Yan, this is the vice president of the Goldenrod City Pokémon League Trainer Guild," Lance quietly introduced in Xia Yan's ear.

The vice president of the Goldenrod City Pokémon League Trainer Guild?

Wouldn't that make him nominally one of Goldenrod City's top three or four figures?

No wonder this Pidgeot looked so extraordinary.

"Mr. Azir." Xia Yan greeted him politely.

No matter what, the man was an influential figure in Goldenrod City, and he was very strong as well.

"Brother Xia Yan, I know every Pokémon Trainer of some reputation in Goldenrod City. Are you, like Lance, from..." Azir thought for a moment, but he truly could not recall any young Trainer in Goldenrod City like him.

Xia Yan shook his head and answered candidly, "No. I simply failed to register as a Pokémon Trainer."

"Wait!" Lance was the first to react. He looked at Xia Yan in disbelief and confirmed, "You said you failed to register, not that you never went?"

"Mm." Xia Yan responded calmly without elaborating. He had been able to accept it calmly that very day, let alone now.

Seeing Lance's intense reaction, Azir frowned as well.

He knew the requirements for becoming a Registered Trainer all too well. It was nothing more than insufficient money, qualifications, or contributions.

But if the Power Plant incident had truly been completed by the two of them as Lance claimed, then based on that achievement alone, Xia Yan would have absolutely no problem becoming a Registered Trainer.

It was just...

Azir glanced at the calm Xia Yan. It seemed that Xia Yan did not care much about becoming a Registered Trainer.

"Come on! Return with me. I'll get you registered!" As he spoke, Lance summoned Charizard and jumped directly onto its back.

He acknowledged Xia Yan's strength and abilities. He had thought Xia Yan simply had not registered yet, but it turned out Xia Yan had gone to register and been turned away.

This was not just a slap in Xia Yan's face—it was a slap in Lance's face.

Xia Yan nodded apologetically toward Azir before stepping onto Charizard's back as well.

Azir silently pulled out a cigarette. Its tip glowed faintly as he waved them off.

The two swiftly disappeared into the distance.

For Xia Yan now, whether he became a Registered Trainer or not made no difference. It would not change the decision he had already made.

The only difference might be...

That he could freeload at the Pokémon Center in the future.

There was nothing more satisfying than freeloading. If there was, it was probably freeloading twice.

Here was today's third update.

I saw some readers saying the pace is slow. Emmmm, it is a long story after all, but if the pace is slow, I'll just update more. I'm a slow-burn kind of person, and I prefer telling stories gradually and unfolding them bit by bit. I'll try to update more.