Chapter 247: Gary: How dangerous could it be?
"What's wrong? Don't believe me?" Asahi asked.
Koga nodded. Based on what he knew about Sird, it was hard to imagine she was a Galactic Team agent.
Asahi's expression turned deadly serious. "You got me — I was lying to Sakaki just now."
Koga: "…"
For a moment, Koga was at a loss for words.
Was Sird a spy or not?
Asahi's mind games were driving him crazy.
But since Koga knew he couldn't beat Asahi, he had no choice but to endure it… after all, he was a ninja.
Seeing Koga hold back his frustration, Asahi couldn't help but admire him.
Koga's patience was miles ahead of Gary's — the gap was like the difference between a Pidgey and a Pidgeot.
…
The cooperation signing ceremony ended quickly.
The event was mostly for show — a photo op for reporters and a press release. The real negotiations had already been finalized behind closed doors.
Once the reporters left, only Asahi, Cynthia, Lorelei, and Koga remained in the conference room.
"Thank you, Asahi," Cynthia said.
Honestly, she hadn't expected things to go so smoothly in Kanto.
Not only had they formed a solid partnership, but they also received more support than expected — and the ice cream was surprisingly good too.
All of this wouldn't have been possible without Asahi's help.
And... even though they had only spent a few days together, Cynthia found Asahi to be a very interesting person.
Being around him was quite enjoyable.
Asahi waved his hand. "No need for thanks—we're all Trainers of the League. …Wishing you success in wiping out Team Galactic when you return to Sinnoh!"
Lunatics bent on world destruction were the common enemy of all sane people. Asahi felt he had only made a negligible contribution.
Cynthia didn't say much more, but she silently took his kindness to heart.
She also promised that the next time Asahi visited Sinnoh, she would personally welcome him.
Asahi verbally agreed, but in his heart, he still had to weigh his options.
It wasn't that he had any issues with Cynthia.
It was just that Sinnoh was Arceus' stronghold, and the deity had been appearing quite frequently.
He was worried that if he, a known "Plate Thief," barged into Sinnoh unprepared, he'd be exposed on the spot by Arceus.
On the surface, though, Asahi remained composed as usual.
He patted Koga on the shoulder and turned to Lorelei. "I'm leaving the task of monitoring Koga to you, Elite Four Lorelei."
Koga: "….."
Couldn't you have picked a better time to say that?
Saying it right to my face—do you even care about my feelings?
But as a former high-ranking Rocket Executive who had just defected, Koga knew he wasn't in a position to ask for more.
He merely assured them that he would put all his effort into dealing with Team Galactic.
He would use his actions to prove his sincerity.
Lorelei, on the other hand, had gained a deeper understanding of Asahi's strength.
Being able to make Koga this compliant… Asahi was the first.
Since the situation in Sinnoh was urgent, Cynthia didn't stay long.
Asahi personally saw Cynthia, Lorelei, and Koga off as they boarded a private jet bound for Sinnoh.
"Now that Cynthia's gone, it feels like something is missing…"
Standing at the airport, watching the plane take off, Asahi stroked his chin in thought.
"I heard that. I'm reporting you to Green."
Sabrina suddenly appeared, peeking out from the side.
Who knew when she had arrived?
"Hm? Reporting what to Green…? Did I say something?" Asahi looked completely innocent.
Seeing how naturally Asahi switched expressions, Sabrina didn't get angry as she usually would.
"Heh, I knew you'd say that… That's why I recorded everything." She smirked, reaching for her phone.
However, when her hand touched her waist, she found… nothing.
Her body stiffened. She quickly looked up at Asahi, only to see him twirling a phone in his hand.
"Were you talking about this?" Asahi asked, shaking the phone.
Sabrina: "….."
When did he take it?
When did Asahi steal her phone?
And she hadn't even noticed.
"Mew~"
Mew appeared, resting on Asahi's shoulder, looking guilty.
Sabrina gritted her teeth at the sight. No wonder she hadn't sensed anything—it was Mew's doing.
But come to think of it… since when did Mew start picking up Asahi's bad habits?
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Pokémon League Headquarters - Kanto Division
Asahi lay on the sofa, one arm hugging Eevee while the other played with Togepi. For the first time in a while, he felt truly relaxed.
And as for why…
It must be because he had spent too much energy worrying about Gary these past few days!
Thinking of this, Asahi turned his head to look at Gary, intending to have a friendly training battle to unwind.
However, upon seeing Gary's listless state ever since his match against Agatha, Asahi decided to be merciful—just this once.
Instead of a challenge, he opted for words of encouragement.
Slap!
Asahi patted Gary on the shoulder. "Chin up! You're the Champion, after all!"
"…Is there a Champion in the world more miserable than me?" Gary muttered. But despite his complaints, he straightened his back.
Although he had suffered at the hands of Agatha, he was still the Champion.
He had earned plenty of prestige in front of his grandfather and Ash. The media was showering him with praise, and he had even cut out the articles to save them for future appreciation.
Thinking of this, a smug grin crept onto Gary's face.
"With the Indigo League over, it's time to consider heading to Hoenn," Asahi said, glancing at everyone in the room.
Upon hearing this, the others put down their work, Pokémon, and playing cards, turning their attention to him.
Asahi had previously mentioned the Hoenn expedition, but aside from Gary, no team members had been officially selected.
Sensing the gazes on him, Asahi continued:
"This time, our trip to Hoenn may involve direct encounters with Legendary Pokémon. The risk level is extremely high, so I won't be taking too many people."
Before anyone else could react, Gary was the first to ask, "How dangerous are we talking?"
He had seen Legendary Pokémon before—Mewtwo, Mew, and Celebi were practically a common sight to him.
Was there really a need to be this cautious?
Hearing Gary's question, Asahi pondered for a moment. "Well… think entire cities flooded, others struck by severe drought, two Legendary Pokémon battling it out, and all of Hoenn descending into chaos…"
Gary: "…..???"
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