Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

This is Paraster's territory.

The further you go in, the stronger the damp, humid, earthy smell in the air becomes, mixed with a strange, mushroom-like, slightly fishy-sweet aroma.

The ground beneath my feet gradually became sticky and soft, covered with a thick, faintly pulsating, dark blue fungal carpet that seemed to be alive.

Countless mycelia of varying thicknesses emerged from the soil and tree roots like living things, winding and climbing, shimmering with a faint phosphorescence in the dim light.

Finally, they stopped in front of a hidden cave entrance, almost completely covered by vines and mycelium.

"It's right here." Xiao Gang lowered his voice, his expression extremely solemn.

He gestured for the giant rock snake to gently push aside the obstacle at the entrance of the cave with its tail.

In a sense, this kind of thing is actually very dangerous.

If it were just Ash alone, he definitely wouldn't come to a place like this.

But it's different when you have Xiaogang and Xiaoxia, who were both former dojo masters.

Both of them had Pokémon that were at the level of Gym Leaders.

The cave was unusually damp and dark, with condensed water droplets and a thick film of fungi covering the stone walls.

They struggled down the steep, downward slope, their only source of light being the will-o'-the-wisps used by dream demons and the ubiquitous mycelium that emitted a faint blue glow.

It's best to avoid using high-powered flashlights if they're unnecessary.

"Mewmon is amazing~~" Ash hugged Misdreavus and gently patted its head.

"Mah~ Mah~" The dream demon squinted its eyes happily.

Compared to when he was under the command of Millennium Gastly, he now has to work very seriously, like a little adult.

After joining Ash's team, there was absolutely nothing for them to do, so they could just be cute without any worries.

In particular, the Dream Demon has many skills that can solve various small problems, which is very convenient.

The cave floor and walls were completely covered with intertwined mycelium and thick tree roots, and stepping on them gave a strange feeling of softness and resilience, as if you were stepping on the blood vessel network of some huge creature.

As you go deeper, the space gradually opens up.

Finally, they arrived at a huge underground cave.

The sight before them made the three of them hold their breath instantly, their pupils contracting in shock.

The center of the cave.

A mushroom, so enormous it defies description, stood there.

The stipe is as thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, deeply embedded in the ground, connected to countless tree roots and a network of mycelium.

The mushroom cap is so large that it resembles a natural dome.

The surface beneath the canopy is densely covered with gills that emit a ghostly blue light, flickering like breathing, with fine spore dust constantly falling and merging into the surrounding dense ghostly blue mist.

"I knew it..." Xiao Gang's voice carried a hint of excitement at discovering the truth.

He pointed to the enormous mushroom, “An overdeveloped Paraster, even… no longer needing the insect body for basic support.”

"No, perhaps it's no longer appropriate to call it 'Paraster' now. Its true form, this mushroom, has already surpassed the limits of its species."

Unfortunately, this state cannot be considered an evolution of Paraster.

Otherwise, Xiaogang thinks he could publish a paper.

"So this is how Pokémon can be like this?!" Xiaoxia's eyes were filled with disbelief and shock, and her voice trembled slightly.

The scene before her completely overturned her understanding of Paraster.

It completely transformed from an insect into a mushroom...

Ash immediately raised his Pokédex, pointed the camera at the giant mushroom, and turned the sound effects down to the lowest setting.

Parasect, the mushroom Pokémon. Parasect prefers dark, damp places, not because it's a bug, but because of the giant mushroom on its back. As the bug's essence is constantly drained, its thoughts are no longer focused on the bug, but on the mushroom on its back. The bug underneath is essentially dead; its true form is the mushroom on its back, acting according to the will of a mushroom larger than the bug's body. If the mushroom falls, it will stop moving. There are individuals in the forest whose back mushrooms fall off without moving, providing sufficient evidence for the theory that the giant mushroom is the true form. After draining the bug's nutrients, the mushroom on its back plants spores on the bug's eggs. The giant mushroom manipulates Parasect, causing it to swarm and attach itself to the roots of large trees to absorb nutrients. After the tree withers, it moves to other trees, often competing for territory with Shroomish. It releases poisonous spores from the mushroom's cap; the larger the mushroom on its back grows, the stronger the effect of the released spores.

(The full text is 2431 words, this section is 300 words, and the fee is 2500 if it is less than that.)

The description in the encyclopedia seems to perfectly match the terrifying mushroom that now exists almost entirely on its own.

No longer content with manipulating individual insects, it controls the entire Paraster race through underground mycelial networks, launching this brutal territorial war to fuel its insatiable desire for expansion.

The fierce battles on the ground originated from and were commanded by it.

"Huh?" Xiaoxia noticed something was wrong. "Look over there."

At the base of this giant mushroom is a glass container containing the empty shell of a Parasitic worm that has long since shriveled and dried up.

It's normal to have empty shells of insects.

But why is there a glass container?

This glass container is clearly a human creation.

Is this [Paraster]... related to humans?

“This giant Parasitic plant should also be domesticated,” Xiao Gang said. “The evidence is that it didn’t attack us as we were coming over.”

Xiao Gang's actions seem a bit reckless.

But in reality, he was always prepared.

In case of any problems, let the Onix dig a hole and lead them away.

Once you hide in Onix's mouth, Onix can dig its way out incredibly fast.

In the Pokémon scholarly world, Onix's current theoretical record for the [Dig] skill is that it can dig underground at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, causing the ground to shake and making a rumbling sound that can be heard from a great distance.

Of course, Xiao Gang's one won't be that fast yet.

But that's enough to get away with it.

"Huh?" Xiaoxia was stunned; she knew nothing about it.

⊙_⊙Xiaoxia: What are you guys doing?

"Hehehe... You don't think it doesn't know we're stepping on the mycelium on the ground, do you?" Xiao Zhi shook his head helplessly.

Then the explanation began:

"Xiaoxia... Mushrooms are very special creatures."

"The main structure of a mushroom can be roughly divided into two parts."

"①·Mycelium: This is the main part of a mushroom, equivalent to the roots, stems and leaves of a plant, and grows in decaying wood, soil, etc."

"②·Fruit body: This is the part of the mushroom that is visible to the naked eye."

“We must have come into contact with its mycelium during our journey here.”

Ash looked around at the ground.

In a sense, we can now be considered to have entered the mushroom's body.

However, mushrooms are a bit special; they can't move.

The surrounding environment is mainly soil and rocks, but mycelium has seeped into it.

Its physical structure dictates that it doesn't have any special moves like vine whips.

So Xiaogang said he could easily lead everyone away.

Even now, Ash can easily escape when he releases Gyarados.

For Pokémon that lack the ability to act independently, the larger the size, the stronger they are.

But to truly unleash this [strength]... is quite difficult.

With skyscrapers standing there, who wouldn't think it's magnificent?

But only when the skyscrapers collapse will this magnificent power be revealed.

Especially Parasect, a Pokémon that is not good at battling.

This thing is especially afraid of fire.

……

……

(2000 words - 2499, same price)

(Since it hasn't reached the word limit yet, I think pasting the illustration descriptions in will make it look better ?( o ? o )?)

Chapter 96 All rights reserved for the rainbow; any damage will be prosecuted.

"Mah-mah!"

The Misdreavus's voice did not come through air vibrations, but rang directly in Ash's mind.

No matter what, it was an elite trained by the young Gastly.

She just likes to act cute.

It's not really cute and silly.

[The big mushroom said...it said...it was domesticated?]

The dream demon conveyed faint thoughts captured from the ubiquitous mycelial network around it.

Despite its large size, this giant mushroom Paraster is not particularly strong and cannot even communicate telepathically.

[It says there are... science information boards over there?]

The dream demon didn't know what the science popularization display board was.

But since the big mushroom said so, she said it again.

The three were taken aback by what they heard. They followed the direction indicated by the dream demon and even saw arrows pointing the way on the wall... which looked a bit like mycelium.

On the other side of the base of that giant mushroom, there is a very wide road.

Right next to the rock wall stands a simple metal display panel, which is completely out of place in this primitive cave environment.

In a sense, it's quite conspicuous... as if afraid others won't see it.

The problem is that they had just sneaked in from another direction, and their view was blocked by the huge stalk and the misty fog of spores, so they didn't notice its presence at all.

Walk over and take a look.

The display board uses clear text and illustrations to introduce the cultivation process, ecological habits, and impact on the surrounding mycelial network of this giant Parasitic mushroom named "Titan mushroom".

Below is a prominent sign: [Rainbow University & Rainbow Gym Joint Research Project – All rights reserved by Rainbow University. Damage will be prosecuted.]

At the very bottom, there's a line of smaller print: [There are many surveillance cameras in this area; please don't take any chances.]

"It really is a domesticated animal..." Xiaoxia murmured as she looked at the words, unsure of what expression to make.

It seems that their "illegal" intrusion triggered some kind of sensor.

A display screen next to the exhibition board, which had been in a dormant state, suddenly lit up, its soft light dispelling the pale blue hue of a small area.

An image of a green-haired girl dressed in an elegant kimono, with a gentle and serene demeanor, appeared on the screen.

Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were slightly puzzled by being disturbed.

"what?"

"Break time... is really unpleasant..."

"Who could it be at this time..."

But when she saw the person outside the screen, a hint of surprise flashed in her calm eyes.

"Um?"

"Mr. Xiao Gang?"

The girl on the screen—Rika, the Rainbow City Gym Leader—said her tone shift from doubt to a gentle greeting after confirmation.

"This is quite a surprise; I never expected to see you here."

"I am so sorry for not greeting you properly."

Xiao Gang had been the dojo master for many years in place of his parents, so he knew his peers.

Even if they're not very close, at least they know what kind of relationship they have with each other.

He even has some connections with strong individuals in other regions through his status as a dojo master.