As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Klein groggily lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. The lingering scent of the six cups on his desk still hung faintly in the air.
How did I fall asleep?
As his mind gradually cleared, Klein picked up one of the paper cups in front of him and examined it, only to realize that what he had drunk wasn't coffee after all.
Impossible—I distinctly remember the taste.
That lingering fragrance wasn't the aroma of coffee but rather the distinct scent of a fruit juice. Taking a closer sniff, he recognized it instantly—it was identical to the scent of the Salac Fruit left behind by Mew.
Now it all made sense. Mew must have snuck in at some point and secretly swapped out his instant coffee, replacing it with a sleep-inducing fruit beverage.
Why would it go through the trouble of switching my drink?
Klein couldn't fathom Mew's mischievous reasoning and felt a bit helpless about it. He still had to gather information on the poachers, and now he had lost valuable time.
However, when he opened his laptop to organize the data, he was surprised to find that his thoughts were significantly clearer. Problems that had previously seemed impossible to solve now fell into place effortlessly.
A single restful sleep had wiped away all his exhaustion from the past few days. Whatever Mew had put in that drink, it had completely dispelled his fatigue.
His thoughts flowed effortlessly, much like how a novelist experiences a perfect writing streak. Taking advantage of this clarity, Klein meticulously sorted through the information he had gathered, then picked up a pen and began making calculations on the digital map.
When his pen finally came to a stop, his gaze grew sharp.
"This is…"
Silvermound—Johto League Headquarters
The Poison-type Elite, Koga, the Psychic-type Elite, Will, the Dark-type Elite, Karen, and the Dragon-type Elite, Lance, had all gathered for their routine briefing.
"This is information on Team Rocket's bases in the northern region."
As the Poison-type Elite, Koga had been assigned to investigate various Team Rocket strongholds across Johto. Following the League's directives, he had successfully gathered a wealth of valuable intelligence.
Lance opened the file, scanned through its contents, then passed it along to Will and Karen.
"Tomorrow marks the start of the new Unova League tournament."
After a prolonged silence, Lance cleared his throat and brought up a seemingly unrelated topic. The other Elites remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.
As a Johto-born trainer who had always fought for Kanto, Lance's position had always been somewhat awkward. But as the champion overseeing both Kanto and Johto, there were matters he could not ignore.
"It's been years since Johto and Unova have held an Elite Exchange Tournament. This time, Unova has specifically proposed organizing one."
At the mention of the tournament, Will, remembering his humiliating defeat against Klein last time, immediately shut his eyes and remained silent. Karen, however, raised an eyebrow.
"Historically, Unova's exchanges have been with Hoenn or Kalos. Why Johto this time?"
"This year, the competition will involve Elites from Kalos, Hoenn, Johto, and Unova. It'll be a group-stage tournament, with full six-on-six battles."
Lance turned to Koga.
"Karen and Will are occupied with their responsibilities. You'll need to represent Johto in the Elite Exchange Tournament."
"The regional tournament starts tomorrow, and the final exhibition match coincides with the closing ceremony. That means I'll be away from Johto for over ten days. Is this because of the accusations surrounding the Ilex Forest incident?"
Koga had participated in the battle against the Sandstorm Elite, Klein, which had inadvertently allowed the poachers to make their move on Celebi. This led to widespread speculation online that Johto had orchestrated the entire event. The theory had gained significant traction, prompting Lance to arrange for Koga's departure.
"You understand the situation. Public opinion isn't in our favor right now—there's no point in making things worse."
Ultimately, Koga accepted the arrangement. In truth, it was a convenient excuse for him to step away. Ever since the masked Pikachu assassin appeared, both Team Dim Sun and the Kamiyama Foundation had been on high alert around him. Although Koga had successfully provided reinforcements at Ilex Forest, he had no idea what the Kamiyama Foundation's next move would be.
In Saffron City, Giovanni received news of this development but said little about it. The recent events had untangled the web of connections surrounding the Kamiyama Foundation, making it easier to track their involvement with Celebi. For now, Giovanni had assigned another Rocket executive, Bishas, to keep an eye on the matter, allowing Koga to head to Unova without concern.
Meanwhile, in Johto, Klein remained isolated, with no allies to rely on. But across the internet, his reputation as the Sandstorm Elite had never been more prominent. Moreover, his name was associated with overwhelmingly positive sentiment.
Some of this was fueled by Lorelei's efforts, but much of it stemmed from people recognizing Klein's actions and gradually acknowledging his cause.
Many of his former detractors had now become devoted supporters, flooding the internet with messages of encouragement.
Last night, an account labeled as "Sinnoh's Strongest Champion" had even followed Klein's profile. This immediately sparked a frenzy among online users.
The person behind the account was none other than Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia.
As the dream idol of countless men, Cynthia rarely engaged online, let alone followed others. Her decision to follow Klein was nothing short of extraordinary.
Naturally, this led to wild speculation.
Could it be that Queen Cynthia had taken an interest in the Sandstorm Elite?
"Unforgivable!"
A twin-tailed girl named Nicole and her older brother both erupted in fury at the same time, then turned to glare at each other.
"That brat—what makes him worthy of Cynthia's favor?!"
Nicole shot her brother a sidelong glance.
"Favor? I'm more curious—since when did that iron-willed woman start chasing after younger guys?"
"Don't insult Cynthia!"
Nicole smirked, picking up a Lorelei swimsuit figurine and tapping an "inappropriate" spot with her finger.
"Oh? You didn't get this worked up when I insulted Lorelei. Do you even deserve to own this figure?"
"I—"
Her brother hastily placed the Lorelei figure on top of a cup of instant noodles. But before he could defend himself, Nicole pulled out another collectible—a limited-edition Cynthia figure in a red fur coat, complete with a finely detailed whip.
"Tell me, who is your true idol—Cynthia or Lorelei?"
"Don't make me choose!"
"You're seriously messed up. I can't believe you collect these things!"
Goldenrod City—Starlight Tower
Tonight, the city's most dazzling landmark shone in a cascade of silver light. Beneath it, petals drifted across the red-carpeted stage.
Sixteen attendants, dressed in flowing crimson robes, gracefully stepped onto the platform. As the audience held their breath in anticipation, the soft notes of classical music played, and a delicate figure ascended the stage.
Under the autumn maple leaves, the elegant sleeves of her kimono swayed gently. Representing the beauty of traditional artistry, Erika, the Gym Leader of Celadon City, made her refined entrance.
The moment her feet touched the stage, the atmosphere shifted as if nature itself had come alive. Plants flourished in an instant, filling the air with a rich floral fragrance. Erika's affinity for nature, as a Grass-type specialist, was on full display.
The performance was breathtaking.
Meanwhile, standing quietly in the distance, Klein observed in silence, waiting for Erika's performance to conclude.
The Elite Summoning Order.
As a Kanto Elite, Klein possessed a special authority—the ability to issue a Summoning Order in times of emergency, calling multiple Gym Leaders together to carry out a critical mission.
Erika was one of three Gym Leaders he needed to summon.
After issuing the order, he had discovered that she was currently in Goldenrod City for a performance. Thus, he had come in person.
The other two Gym Leaders were already on their way.
Sensing his gaze, Erika twirled gracefully mid-dance. As her kimono swirled around her, her eyes met those of the young Sandstorm Elite.
(End of Chapter)