🎆 Happy New Year! 🎆
Thank you all for the amazing support throughout this year. 💙To celebrate the arrival of the new year, here is a special New Year code:
🎁 Code:NewYear: F3B16
📅 Code validity:
Start: December 30, 2025 at 11:55 p.m.
End: January 2, 2026 at 11:00 p.m.
Enjoy it and let's start this new year strong. 🚀✨Here's to an amazing 2026! 🎉
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"Right, President, here are the Dark Ball fragments I picked up."
At that moment, Ethan Black remembered the remains of the Dark Ball that had shattered when Slowking broke free from it, and he quickly pulled them out.
"Dark Ball fragments!"
"Ethan, this time you've made another great achievement!"
Seeing the fragments Ethan Black handed over, the Grand President Beckett was visibly moved.
"President, what exactly is this Dark League?"
Ethan Black passed over the fragments and asked with doubt.
"The Dark League, huh..."
"Information about that evil organization is actually classified."
"But since you've had direct contact with its members, and also brought back such valuable Dark Ball fragments, I'll make an exception and tell you what we know."
The Grand President Beckett took a deep breath, handed the fragments to the researchers, and then led Ethan Black to the library, where he pulled out the files on the Dark League.
The Dark League was an evil organization that had only appeared in recent years, with activities spreading across the world. Most alarming of all was that the Dark Balls leaked from within had drawn in countless trainers with ill intentions.
"Dark Ball... and dark ruins."
"How terrifying this Dark League is..."
After reading the files, Ethan Black felt a chill in his heart.
Dark Balls could turn any Pokémon ferocious, raising their power to the maximum. Those caught by them lost their freedom and obeyed the owner of the Dark Ball blindly.
And most terrifying of all, even if a Pokémon already had a trainer, the Dark Ball could still seize it.
With those two functions, Dark League members could form terrifyingly strong battle teams in very little time, and rising from nothing to elite Pokémon Hunters was entirely possible.
That was precisely why so many with dark ambitions joined them: the temptation of rising instantly in such a short time was irresistible.
However, fortunately, Dark Balls had a fatal flaw: when using them, their wielder was also invaded by the dark energy within.
Only those who survived the life-or-death trial of that energy could truly control them.
"A backlash...?"
Ethan Black remembered that every time that man in black used a Dark Ball, the dark energy blackened his hands, making his body tremble in pain.
Luckily, the use of these spheres had many restrictions. Otherwise, if every Dark League member had several Dark Balls, the League would already have no reason to exist.
"The Dark League's main activity area is still in the West, but recently, with the opening of national policy allowing civilians to own Pokémon, they've also begun infiltrating here."
The Grand President Beckett added this seriously. Even he, the leader of the Pokémon Researchers' Guild, did not dare underestimate that organization.
"President, our people are ready."
At that moment, his secretary entered and informed him.
"Good. Ethan, come with us."
"We're going to investigate that Secret Kingdom you mentioned earlier."
The Grand President Beckett nodded and then looked at Ethan Black.
"Alright."
Ethan Black accepted without hesitation. They had already spoken about this, and since it was related to dark energy and Absol's safety, it could not be taken lightly.
Thus, after preparations by the Pokémon Researchers' Guild, the group set off on Pidgeot toward the ancient Secret Kingdom where the Slowking mural was located.
"It should be in this area. Last time, that man in black used some method to teleport me directly inside the place."
"And when I came out of the Secret Kingdom, I found myself suspended in the air."
Already in the area, Ethan Black explained to the Grand President Beckett.
"Alright, understood."
The Grand President Beckett nodded and pulled out a device similar to a detector. With Pidgeot's help, he began scanning the area.
That device was designed specifically to find doors to the Secret Kingdoms, representing the peak of the League's technology.
The one the Grand President Beckett carried was a portable model, capable of detecting fluctuations in a limited area and locating a portal.
In the Pokémon Hunters' Guild headquarters of each city, there were much larger models, able to cover entire regions.
In fact, the massive detector that appeared when Ethan Black first arrived in this world was precisely the one that discovered that Secret Kingdom in Stonefield Town.
But those giant detectors had one drawback: they couldn't pick up the portals of small Secret Kingdoms.
"Seen this way, Absol's ability to sense the entrances of Secret Kingdoms is incredibly useful!" Ethan Black couldn't help but smile with some satisfaction.
Beep, beep, beep.
While he was thinking, the Grand President Beckett's device began to sound.
"We've found it, this is the spot!"
The Grand President Beckett's face lit up and he ordered Pidgeot to land.
On the ground, the technicians had already prepared the machine to open the portal. After inputting the coordinates, a beam of light shot into the sky.
Upon reaching the portal, that beam vanished as if swallowed by the air.
Energy waves of space formed in the sky, and little by little a dimensional passage opened before them.
Ethan Black watched fascinated. Although it wasn't the first time he had seen something like this, it still left him in awe.
The scene reminded him of Meltan's ability to open portals using its magnetic waves, creating an energy similar to a spatial field.
The only thing he didn't know was what principle this laser beam used.
"We've done it!"
"Prepare to enter!"
The Grand President Beckett smiled and left a support group outside. Then, along with Ethan Black and other researchers, they mounted their Pidgeot and entered the portal.
"This is definitely... a ruin."
Inside the Secret Kingdom, the researchers were astonished to see the murals on the stone walls.
Every time ruins were discovered in a Secret Kingdom, it represented a huge advance for humanity.
(End of chapter)