"Do Terastallized Pokémon go berserk?"
Gary was a little confused. If Pokémon went wild after Terastallizing, then why didn't Trainer-owned Pokémon have the same problem?
"At present, that situation does exist," Sada said. "And the closer you get to the central area of the Great Crater of Paldea, the more violent Pokémon become after Terastallizing."
"Then wouldn't the Tera Orb be unusable inside the crater?" Gary asked.
"That's not the case. The Tera Orb I developed can purify Terastal energy very well, so Pokémon that Terastallize through it won't go berserk," Sada said confidently.
The Tera Orb had been developed by Sada and Turo, and she was clearly confident in her own research results.
Gary didn't dwell on that. What he was more curious about was how Terastallization had been born in the anime world. In the games, it was a unique phenomenon of the Paldea region, and everything was related to Terapagos.
Unfortunately, Terapagos was currently with Liko, and Gary had no idea what condition it was in right now.
"So I only need to watch out for wild Pokémon that suddenly Terastallize?" Gary asked.
"Yes." Sada nodded. "But… you also need to be careful of Paradox Pokémon. They are active in Area Zero."
"Area Zero? Where is that?"
"Area Zero is in the middle of the Great Crater—the core of the crater. That's where we'll be going this time. We need to repair the observation station there. Pokémon Terastallize very frequently in that area, so the danger level is high as well," Sada explained.
"Do Paradox Pokémon live in Area Zero?" Gary asked.
"Yes. The Paradox Pokémon discovered so far have all appeared there. They are extremely territorial and will actively attack anything that enters their territory," Sada said.
"Did Paradox Pokémon already exist there in ancient times?" Gary asked.
"They only appeared after we entered Area Zero."
"How many Paradox Pokémon have you discovered so far?"
"There are quite a few, but that involves our research, so I can't tell you the details. If we encounter any Paradox Pokémon during this trip, I can give you an answer then. It depends on your luck."
Gary didn't ask any further.
He could already confirm that Sada was hiding something. The appearance of Paradox Pokémon had to be related to her—and even Geeta must know something. Both of them seemed to be deliberately keeping certain information secret, leaving Gary unable to figure out how Paradox Pokémon had appeared in the anime world.
Soon, Sada brought Gary to a lounge. Rather than a normal lounge, it was more like a fitness room, with four people inside exercising.
Seeing Sada bring someone in, the four of them stopped what they were doing and looked over.
"Professor, is this the person who's going into the crater with us?" a blond man asked curiously.
All four people present were adults—three men and one woman. Each had a very good physique and was clearly someone who exercised regularly. Even Sada herself had a toned, athletic build.
Compared to them, Gary's leaner frame made him look almost slight and boyish.
The other four couldn't help wondering whether someone like him could really join the team without dragging them down. Area Zero was very dangerous. They might not even be able to fully take care of themselves, let alone spend time saving someone else.
"Nick, don't judge him by his appearance," Sada reminded him. "He's a very strong Trainer. You may not even be his opponent."
"Is that so?"
Nick looked Gary over carefully, but he didn't see anything special about him.
The four of them were all outstanding graduates of Naranja Academy. Since graduating, they had been working under League-affiliated organizations. In terms of strength, they were only slightly weaker than the Elite Four.
"Alright, introduce yourselves," Sada said.
"Hello, my name is Hannah."
The woman among the four was the first to greet Gary.
"Angus."
"Garke."
The other two men also nodded to Gary and simply gave their names.
Angus was a black-haired young man with powerful muscles. Standing in front of him, Gary looked almost skinny.
Garke was a tall man with beige hair, glasses, and a gentle-looking face. Combined with his strong build, the contrast was rather striking.
Hannah was a blond woman with wheat-colored skin. She looked wild and had a unique charm.
Nick was a typical blond foreign-looking man. His figure wasn't as exaggerated as Angus's, but compared with ordinary people, he was still very strong.
Gary looked at Nick, waiting for him to introduce himself.
Seeing Gary looking at him, Nick said flatly, "Didn't the Professor already say my name just now? Do I need to introduce myself again?"
Gary didn't understand why Nick seemed dissatisfied with him. It wasn't as if they had any history between them.
"My name is Gary," Gary replied simply.
When the four heard Gary's name, they thought about it for a moment, trying to remember whether there was someone named Gary in the Paldea region. But none of them could recall anything.
"You all get along here. Later, take Gary to the dormitory to rest," Sada said, then left after giving that instruction.
Gary was a little speechless. Sada was being far too irresponsible—to outsiders, this looked like she had just thrown a sheep into a den of wolves.
"Gary, right?"
At that moment, Nick suddenly walked over to Gary.
When the other three saw Nick's actions, they all looked like they were waiting to watch a show. They knew Nick was about to make a move.
Back when they were still in school, Nick had always been like this. If someone wanted to work with him, they first had to earn his recognition. Otherwise, he would keep putting pressure on them.
"Is something wrong?" Gary asked, looking at Nick, who was half a head taller than him, with a rebellious expression that made him look quite unruly.
"The Professor said you're strong, but strength isn't something you prove by talking. Battle me. As long as you beat me, I'll acknowledge you joining the team," Nick said.
"Even if I lose to you, are you qualified to stop me from entering the Great Crater?" Gary asked in return.
Nick froze for a moment. He hadn't expected Gary to be so slippery and refuse to face him head-on.
"Of course not," Nick said. "But if that happens, I can't guarantee I'll be able to help you right away if trouble comes up. After all, we're teammates. Shouldn't we at least understand each other's strength?"
Nick smiled as he responded.
As expected of someone who worked in a League organization, he used the excuse of "understanding each other" to pressure Gary. As long as Gary fought Nick and lost, he would have to follow Nick's instructions from then on.
"Alright. Then let's understand each other's strength," Gary said. "Are you going alone, or are all of you coming together?"