Sleeping Palace?
7: Chapter 7: The First Emperor’s…
Sleeping Palace?
[Mysterious Girl: Let me go!
I’m not a thief!] [Handsome Researcher: Really?
I don’t believe you.
Tell that to Officer Jenny.] [Mysterious Girl: Please let me off this time!
I swear I’ll never trick anyone again!] […] No one knew exactly what kind of “secret agreement” the two eventually reached.
In any case, the mysterious girl suddenly broke free from his grasp.
She shot Little Red, who was standing nearby watching the scene unfold, a fierce glare.
Then, like a startled rabbit, she dashed away and disappeared down the end of the laboratory corridor.
Only then did the handsome researcher turn around as though he had just noticed Little Red.
[Handsome Researcher: Yo, Red.
Long time no see.
Nice weather today.
I’ll be heading out now.] The cutscene ended.
Inside the real-world research institute, three pairs of eyes immediately turned toward Green.
At this moment, Green’s face had turned completely red.
The blush stretched from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.
Her cheeks looked hot enough to fry an egg.
She covered her face with both hands.
If there had been a crack in the ground, she would have jumped into it immediately.
‘H-he actually put that into the game?!’ ‘Aaaaahhh!’ Having one of her darkest embarrassing memories publicly reenacted in front of everyone was essentially a public execution.
At that moment, she genuinely wanted to murder someone.
“Wait.” Red suddenly noticed something important.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“If I had chosen the female character at the beginning…” “Then wouldn’t the person Brother Gray carried around like a little chicken just now…” “…have been me?” “Hmph.” Blue snorted coldly.
Without hesitation, he exposed another piece of history.
“Your Venusaur was stolen from the old man’s place too.” “The only difference is that Brother Gray wasn’t the one who caught you.” “It was the old man himself.” “Hehe…” Red scratched the back of his head.
A silly smile appeared on his face.
Clearly, it was not a memory he particularly wanted to revisit.
He hurriedly changed the subject.
“Alright!” “Let’s go!” “Viridian City!” However, the instant Little Red stepped beyond the borders of Pallet Town— The entire game froze.
The screen stuttered.
An error message popped up.
Then everything went black.
The four of them: “…” Everyone stared at one another.
A perfect “looking at each other in silence” moment.
It was obvious.
They had just encountered an extremely serious game-breaking bug.
…
Moonlight flowed through the window like water, quietly illuminating the bed inside the research institute dormitory.
Gray was awakened by a relentless barrage of notification sounds coming from his phone.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
Yawning widely, he sat up in bed.
His eyes were still half closed with sleep.
On the screen, the PokeNet group chat had already been flooded by Red and the others’ bug reports.
The sea of unread messages and bright red notification dots instantly gave him a headache.
Assistant Arceus had notifications too.
Those were positive feedback reports generated while Red and the others played the game.
Unfortunately, the BP rewards were pitiful.
Only a few points.
So Gray barely paid them any attention.
“Tsk.” “So many bugs…” “I’ll deal with them later.” “I still have actual work to do.” He casually switched his phone to silent mode and tossed it back beside his pillow.
After all, he still had not completed the research assignment Professor Oak had given him.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
A calm, measured knocking sound echoed through the room.
In the silence of the night, it sounded particularly clear.
Gray rubbed his temples and got out of bed.
Opening the door, he was momentarily stunned.
Standing outside under the cool moonlight was a tall woman.
The heels of her shoes lightly tapped the ground, producing crisp echoes.
Brilliant golden hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
A perfectly tailored black coat outlined her slender waist and breathtaking curves.
She appeared to be around twenty years old.
Her features were stunningly beautiful.
Yet what truly drew attention were her eyes.
Within them seemed to shine countless stars.
When her gaze swept over someone, it carried a pressure that felt capable of seeing directly into their soul.
Yeah.
She really looks like my wi— Wait.
Cynthia?!
Gray instantly woke up.
His sleepiness vanished without a trace.
A professional smile immediately appeared on his face.
“Good evening…” “Good evening, Mr.
Gray.” Cynthia’s voice was cool and pleasant.
Her gaze lingered on him for a brief moment.
Then her beautiful eyebrows subtly furrowed.
Strange…
There was something about this researcher.
A familiar aura.
A feeling that inexplicably resonated with her heart.
As though she had encountered it somewhere before.
The instincts of a Champion quickly suppressed the distraction.
She efficiently presented her identification.
“I am Cynthia, the current Champion of Sinnoh.” “I have been temporarily transferred by the Regional United League at the request of the Kanto League.” “My current assignment is to oversee Professor Oak’s security operations in Imperia City.” She got straight to the point.
“Professor Oak has already identified the preliminary source of the Ghost-type energy tide spreading through Imperia City.” “He requires you to carry specialized equipment to the site and record the core energy data.” After a brief pause, she looked directly at Gray.
“My task is to ensure your safety during this operation.” “A pleasure to meet you.” “Always ready.” Gray straightened his back.
His expression became completely serious.
“Please wait a moment.” “I’ll prepare the equipment.” Turning around, he headed back into the room.
While rummaging through the clutter searching for a device that looked suspiciously similar to a metal detector, Little A suddenly appeared.
[Assistant Arceus Reminder: It seems a rookie Trainer has encountered a difficult situation!] [Please help her overcome her predicament.] [As a qualified savior of worlds, expanding your network is always the first step.] [Reward: 100 BP Points, Random Apricorn Ball ×1] A rookie Trainer?
Gray instinctively glanced toward the doorway.
Standing there was Cynthia.
The Sinnoh Champion.
A woman whose aura could easily dominate an entire room.
The owner of the infamous Garchomp.
The strongest Trainer in Sinnoh.
Who?
Her?
Miss Cynthia?
Assistant Arceus, your eyesight is truly extraordinary.
Exactly which part of her made you think she was a rookie Trainer?
Gray unleashed a storm of internal complaints.
Outwardly, however, he remained perfectly calm.
After digging through a pile of miscellaneous junk, he finally located the dust-covered energy recorder.
Then he casually asked: “Where exactly are we going?” “The Mausoleum of the First Emperor.” A faint smile appeared on Cynthia’s lips.
The slight curve instantly softened much of her imposing presence.
Meanwhile, her eyes filled with pure curiosity and excitement.
“A place filled with ancient legends and mysteries.” “I’m very interested in it.” After completing their preparations, the two departed into the night.
The Mausoleum of the First Emperor.
A nationally renowned 5A tourist attraction.
Only after arriving did Gray learn that it had already been closed to the public for an entire month due to the effects of the Ghost-type energy tide spreading through Imperia City.
Activating the exploration equipment, he watched as cold lines of data flickered across the display.
Using the scan results, Gray quickly identified the route with the strongest energy fluctuations.
With special access permits in hand, the two entered through a side entrance of the exhibition hall.
Then they ventured deeper into the mausoleum.
Rows upon rows of Terracotta Warriors stood in solemn formation.
Yet unlike the version Gray remembered from his previous life, these ancient formations contained something extra.
Among the countless warriors stood lifelike Pokémon statues.
Majestic Mightyena.
Proud Rapidash with heads raised high.
Even Haunter lurking in shadowy corners.
The craftsmanship was astonishing.
Each figure appeared almost alive.
Following the trail of energy, the pair continued searching until they finally reached the primary burial area of the First Emperor’s tomb.
At last, the flashing red dot on the instrument screen stabilized.
“The source of the energy dispersion is somewhere nearby…” Before Gray could finish speaking, a faint vibration suddenly traveled through the ground beneath his feet.
His mind had not yet reacted.
His body already had.
Instinctively stepping forward, he positioned himself in front of Cynthia.
His eyes swept across the surroundings with vigilance.
The next moment— The carved patterns on the stone floor began glowing.
The path behind them had somehow become engulfed by dense fog.
A sudden transformation erupted around them.
The rows of Terracotta Warriors standing before them abruptly split apart.
Like falling dominoes.
The formations opened to both sides.
Behind them, the rolling sea of fog gradually receded.
Then— A magnificent palace emerged from nowhere.
Golden and resplendent.
Majestic beyond description.
It appeared without warning, as though it had existed there all along.
Above the enormous main gate hung a massive black plaque.
Upon it were engraved three ancient characters written in Qin Small Seal Script.
Each stroke radiated endless authority and dignity.
Afang Palace.
Afang Palace?
Gray’s eyes widened.
The sleeping palace…
of the First Emperor?
(End of Chapter) TN: Decided not to change the name of the palace so that you guys can search it up.
I’m only changing the names of the people to english and the names of the cities to fit the naming of Pokemon Cities.