July 22, night.
The moonlight was cold, casting a dark, silent shroud over the Battle Club.
Only the lights in the manager's office were bright, and faint murmurs could be heard through the door.
Lily Lewis, the manager of the Battle Club, stood by the French window, looking out at the gloomy night. She looked around thirty years old, tall and slender, with sharp features. Black stockings covered her shapely legs, and there was a subtle mole at the corner of her mouth.
"Tell me about this week's situation." Lily Lewis's vermilion lips parted slightly as she glanced at the female secretary beside her with deep, dark eyes.
The female secretary held a stack of documents, adjusting her black-rimmed glasses as she replied, "Director Lewis, the first matter is about the Pokémon Association…"
Lily Lewis walked slowly to a chair, resting her chin on her hand. Her face remained expressionless as she listened quietly.
"The second issue is that a trainer reported us to the Pokémon Association," the secretary continued.
Lily Lewis's expression remained unchanged.
"The complaint was that hiring a sparring partner is too expensive for the average person," the secretary stated flatly.
"Ah." Lily Lewis sneered slightly. "Our Battle Club is practically a charity business, and yet they complain about the cost."
No one knew better than her, how much it took to keep the Battle Club running smoothly each year.
When the Pokémon Association established the Battle Clubs, they never intended them to be profit-making.
Beyond the hundreds of staff, the food expenses for hundreds of Pokémon alone were astronomical.
"The next issue?" Lily asked, regaining her calm.
"The third is that Battle Field No. 02 and Venue No. 07 are reaching the end of their service life and need funds for reconstruction."
"And the fourth…"
---
"There's one last thing: this week, a very special trainer came to the Battle Club," the secretary said, looking at the documents in her hands.
Lily Lewis raised her eyebrow. "How special?"
"In the last seven days, he's won every battle without losing a single match."
"Oh?" Her interest piqued. She brushed a hand through her hair and asked, "What rank is he?"
"Novoice rank," the secretary replied promptly.
At these words, the interest faded from Lily Lewis's face. She covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a yawn.
"The Pokémon he uses, however, are not ordinary," the secretary continued.
"A Combusken and a Shiny Beldum."
Lily's eyes widened slightly. She glanced at her secretary. "A Shiny Beldum?"
"Yes, a shiny Beldum," the secretary confirmed with a nod.
Seeing her nod, Lily paused, intrigued. "Name and identity?"
"His name is Aron, but we haven't been able to uncover his full identity—only his home address." The secretary seemed prepared for the question.
"Let me see." Lily Lewis held out her hand for the documents. She scanned them carefully, her brow furrowing in thought.
After a long silence, she murmured, "So it's him…"
"A family with the surname Smith, and a novice trainer with a Shiny Beldum…"
"This family is really low-profile."
The secretary asked curiously, "Director, do you mean…"
Lily Lewis pointed upward with a finger. "Do you know who the most influential figure in Southern Riverland City is?"
The secretary replied without hesitation, "President Walker of the Pokémon Association."
In every city, the President of the Pokémon Association was often the region's strongest trainer—a figure representing the area. President Walker, in particular, was a semi-Elite trainer with great strength and a prestigious reputation.
But Lily merely smiled. "The true force behind Southern Riverland City isn't President Walker. It's King Hugh Smith."
"King Hugh Smith ?" The female secretary frowned slightly, she recalled it carefully, and then asked, "The Psychic Elite ?"
Lily Lewis was noncommittal, with deep black eyes, and said softly: "I also forgot when King Hugh Smith and his family came to South Riverland City."
"It wasn't a secret—many trainers in the city knew about it back then."
"It's just that King Hugh Smith and his family have lived in obscurity, rarely appearing in public. So they were gradually forgotten."
"Did you know that the Psychic Gym Leader in our city is King Hugh Smith's eldest son?"
The secretary nodded slightly. "I've heard of it."
Lily Lewis chuckled. "The higher the status of a family, the more they avoid the public eye."
"If they show up frequently, it's usually to build momentum."
"From what I gather, King Hugh Smith is getting older, and his eldest son is deeply rooted in Southern Riverland City, making it hard for him to advance further."
"And this Aron may be the new hope of their family's younger generation."
She understood the value of a Shiny Beldum well.
"There are rumors that their lineage has a powerful psychic potential, but it makes it difficult for them to have children, leading to a small population."
"But when they grow up, each member becomes a formidable psychic or trainer."
"The Psychic Gym Leader can use psychic abilities to amplify a Pokémon's power, temporarily pushing his Alakazam to semi-Elite level, which is quite impressive."
Lily Lewis studied Aron's impressive record on paper and sighed softly. "It seems there's a new skilled trainer in their family."
After hearing this, the secretary asked, "Then, Director, should we try to build a connection with Aron?"
Lily Lewis smiled, shaking her head. "That won't be necessary."
"He's a future Elite. Although he hasn't matured yet, his background is worlds apart from ours."
"For an Elite, even gym-level or semi-Elite level trainers are ordinary."
"So there's no need to make a deliberate connection; we only need to show goodwill at the right time."