Chapter Twenty-Four: Reactions from All Sides

Carlos League Headquarters

Cynthia lounged contentedly in her office, sipping coffee and nibbling on delicate pastries. Soft sunlight spilled across the desk before her, gilding the teaware and desserts with a golden sheen, while also bathing the room in a gentle, comfortable warmth.

She had been quite idle lately.

Team Flare had been eliminated, and the hunters, after staging a sensational attack on the Valley of Creation, had vanished without a trace. That was why, just a few days ago, she found herself with free time—no work, no film appointments—so she traveled to Sinnoh to visit her best friend, Shirona.

She had spent two days there, and just thinking about it made her chuckle. It was the first time she’d ever seen Shirona act so bashful over the phone, like a lovestruck girl. Shirona, always strong yet gentle, actually had her heart moved by a man? Every time Cynthia teased her, Shirona would blush like the evening sky.

Love is truly miraculous, Cynthia mused as she watched the sunlight dance.

Then, her face took on a thoughtful expression.

“Should I try falling in love, too?” she whispered to herself.

But she quickly shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. It wasn’t as though she deliberately avoided romance—there simply wasn’t anyone around who interested her. If there were, she wouldn’t be opposed to a passionate or peaceful relationship.

Just as Cynthia was lost in thought, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number—one that wasn’t in her contacts. Cynthia frowned. This was her private line, only known to a handful of close friends. Normally, she received no spam or strange calls.

So this had to be something out of the ordinary.

She didn’t hesitate. Whatever the caller’s intention, since they’d reached out, she would at least hear them out.

“Hello, this is Cynthia,” she answered in her usual, composed tone.

The voice on the other end was a man’s, unfamiliar to her.

“Hello, Champion Cynthia. My name is Chen Ou. I’m a Pokémon Professor. I got this number from Shirona. There’s something very important I need to discuss with you.”

Listening to Chen Ou’s deep, steady voice, Cynthia’s first thought was, “So this is Shirona’s new boyfriend?” Her second thought: “He does have a nice voice.”

“What is this important matter you wish to discuss?” Cynthia replied, her voice tinged with playful curiosity. She had never met Chen Ou, but given his close relationship with Shirona, he wasn’t a total stranger. Besides, she was genuinely interested in the man who had captured her best friend’s heart.

She set her coffee down, propped her chin on one hand, and asked with interest.

“I want to know: Has the Valley of Creation in the Carlos region been attacked by Hunters? Was the Vessel of Retribution stolen? Do those at the Valley know that the vessel is now in Kanto?”

Chen Ou asked three questions in a calm, measured tone. Or perhaps, he had already braced himself for the worst. He recognized Cynthia’s slightly probing tone, but he had no energy to dwell on it.

He’d already contacted Mew about this, and Mew, that melodramatic cat, nearly hugged the roots of the World Tree and wept. From that, Chen Ou realized Mew had little hope for a smooth resolution.

Hoopa’s power… was frankly overwhelming…

The more Chen Ou learned, the more his head ached. All the legendary Pokémon he knew couldn’t match Hoopa even if they banded together—never mind that Hoopa could just “summon” more help.

It was enough to make one’s head spin…

Cynthia was baffled by Chen Ou’s barrage of questions. She had no idea why he was asking, or what this Vessel of Retribution even was.

“Um, are these questions really that important?” Cynthia asked, clearly puzzled.

At that moment, Chen Ou was riding atop Entei, racing through rain-soaked forests toward Viridian City, feeling utterly exhausted. Hoopa had been out of sight for so long that only those who guarded the Valley of Creation or the legendary Pokémon once defeated by Hoopa still spoke of him. Ordinary people had no idea that Hoopa once single-handedly crushed entire groups of legendary Pokémon.

“It’s very important,” Chen Ou replied, his tone resigned. “Something potentially more dangerous than the awakening of Xerneas and Yveltal might happen in Kanto. I need sufficient evidence to secure the League’s support and autonomy. Otherwise, Kanto alone won’t be able to handle it.”

There was nothing but helplessness in his voice. Once the initial panic faded, only weariness remained. He felt the League was woefully unprepared for the resurgence of legendary Pokémon and gravely underestimated their power. Just because some not-quite-elite trainers—like Shindai, a certain Joy, or Drake—had befriended or even captured Regi, Latias, and the like, and Red had bested the Legendary Beasts and Birds, the League believed they understood legendary Pokémon. Most of the truly powerful legends remained hidden, so the League’s perspective was limited to Pokémon like Entei.

Not that Entei wasn’t strong… but ten Enties together probably couldn’t withstand a single blow from Hoopa…

Cynthia frowned at Chen Ou’s words. She still found it hard to believe, and as for the awakening of Xerneas and Yveltal… it didn’t move her. That was just myth. Lysandre had tried to awaken them once, but was stopped in time, so she had no real sense of danger from such events.

The awakening of legends? Was it really that dangerous?

Sensing Cynthia’s doubt, Chen Ou sighed softly. “I was invited by Ho-Oh, Kanto’s legendary Pokémon, to help resolve this crisis. But I know this is not just an issue for the legendaries—it’s a real threat we all must face. I’m a Professor specializing in legendary Pokémon. Please trust my expertise. Or are you questioning the research committee that awarded me my doctorate?”

Only at this point did Chen Ou realize just how powerless he truly was—he could only invoke his credentials to strengthen his case. No wonder Shirona had offered to help connect him; she was looking after his pride.

In the end, power was the foundation of respect in this world. Glancing at Entei below him, Chen Ou wished he could just throw a Poké Ball and capture it. Then he’d be able to stand tall among League trainers and command greater authority.

“No, that’s not it. I’ll look into it right away,” Cynthia replied, her voice turning a bit cold. She had not refused to investigate, but this Chen Ou fellow was trying to pressure her with the research committee—that was hardly gentlemanly.

Hearing Cynthia’s cooling tone, Chen Ou forced a bitter smile. He wanted to explain, but in the end could only say, “Forgive me. I’m sorry.”

Beneath him, Entei listened to their conversation and felt a weight settle in his heart. For the first time, he realized that Chen Ou, too, was paying a heavy price for this—his dignity included.

Cynthia hung up at once, striding to her desk to call her staff and instruct them to investigate the Valley of Creation and report back immediately.

That done, she slumped onto the sofa, pouting with frustration. She wasn’t a delicate princess, but this man was simply too disrespectful. Leaning on authority to pressure her, acting so haughty.

Honestly, Cynthia wasn’t wrong. Anyone would be annoyed if, in the middle of a friendly conversation, the other party suddenly played the “Do you know who my dad is?” card. Everyone wants an equal, friendly dialogue. Pulling rank out of nowhere—did he think she’d be pleased? Was he dreaming, or just too attractive for his own good?

But just as she sat down, her phone rang again. She composed herself, glanced at the caller ID—“Shirona”—and answered.

“Well, well, Champion Shirona is calling me. What is it, here to gang up with your boyfriend and bully me?” Cynthia guessed immediately that Shirona’s call was related to Chen Ou and didn’t hesitate to complain.

Shirona, on the other end, only laughed. “I figured that rational but now somewhat flustered fellow would upset you, so I called to comfort you.”

“You do know him well, especially since you’ve only known him a few days,” Cynthia replied, not realizing how sour she sounded, as if chewing a lemon.

Shirona’s laughter rang in her ears, then she said, “He may be tactless in dealing with people, but I trust his judgment about the situation.”

Her voice shifted, growing serious.

“Cynthia, you may be underestimating the impact of a top-tier legendary Pokémon awakening. I witnessed the battle between Palkia and Dialga with my own eyes. There was no great spectacle, just a sparring match, but even so, I was helplessly dragged into a space-time rift. If things hadn’t been resolved quickly, I—and all of Celestic Town—would have been erased from existence.”

Cynthia fell silent at Shirona’s words. There are things one cannot comprehend until they are witnessed or experienced. But if even Shirona, who was stronger than she, had been powerless, what right did she have to look down on these so-called gods?

Cynthia was quiet for a long time.

“…I’ll investigate thoroughly. If needed, I’ll submit a report to the League and go to Kanto to help,” she said in a subdued tone.

“Thank you, Cynthia!” Shirona’s voice was brimming with joy.

“Don’t think you can get off that easily! I want Chen Ou to treat me to a fancy meal and apologize!”

“No problem! I’ll make sure of it!”

…

The investigation into the Valley of Retribution soon yielded results.

“The Valley of Retribution has confirmed, after an internal review, that the Vessel of Retribution has indeed been lost. Apparently, there’s panic and talk of impending disaster. They also said the vessel is, in fact, headed toward Kanto. Here’s their contact number—write it down…”

Hearing Cynthia’s cool voice over the receiver, Chen Ou finally breathed a sigh of relief—he now had solid evidence.

“Thank you, Ms. Cynthia,” he said, jotting down the series of numbers she gave him, his tone lightening. “And I apologize—I was too anxious just now and overstepped.”

“Don’t think it ends there! You owe me a meal—a lavish one!” Cynthia’s voice had a girlish petulance.

Chen Ou laughed. “No problem. It would be an honor to treat a superstar!”

From the other end, Cynthia grumbled, “So you do know I’m a superstar… hmph!”

And with that, she hung up.

Chen Ou shook his head, smiling—one problem solved, at least.

He glanced at Lei, who was cowering under Entei’s intimidating presence, face twisted into a “Why are you back?” look.

“Tell me everything you know. I’ll have Sabrina from Saffron City hypnotize you later. If you lie, I’ll hand you over to Agatha. Trust me, you don’t want to know how a Ghost-type Elite tortures people. You’ll beg for death.”

Lei straightened up instinctively, only to be cowed again by Entei’s glare.

“Boss, I swear, I’ll tell you everything. I’m an honest merchant—you know our transaction history!”

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PS: Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all success and happiness.
PS2: Should I have him capture Entei or not? It wasn’t in the plan, but after building the atmosphere to this point…