Chapter 228
Cynthia watched Asahi, her gaze filled with curiosity.
"Is there something strange about me, Miss Cynthia?" Asahi asked.
"Thank you so much for the intelligence you provided earlier!" Cynthia said sincerely.
Thanks to Asahi's information, the Sinnoh region had managed to thwart Team Galactic's plot to capture the Lake Guardians.
Realizing she was referring to the intel he had submitted to the League headquarters, Asahi waved it off. "I only did something trivial."
Honestly, there wasn't much to brag about — those poachers had practically handed the information to him on a silver platter.
"Did you catch Hunter J? She threatened me last time," Asahi asked.
Though he wasn't one to hold grudges, Hunter J's bold threats still lingered in his memory.
At the mention of Hunter J, Cynthia looked a bit embarrassed. "She got away."
It was a sore spot — despite thwarting Team Galactic's plans, the Sinnoh League hadn't gained much from their efforts.
Aside from capturing a few grunts, all of Team Galactic's key members had escaped. And Hunter J, being their collaborator, fled the fastest.
Sabrina, sensing the awkwardness in the air, quickly interjected, "Let's head to the hotel first!"
The tense atmosphere broke instantly.
Asahi nodded. "Right, my mistake. Miss Cynthia, please follow me — the League has prepared a hotel for you."
"Thank you, that would be appreciated," Cynthia said smoothly.
…
At the hotel café
After settling Cynthia into her room, Asahi and Sabrina sat at a table in the café.
"So… what do you think? Is Cynthia beautiful?" Sabrina asked, her expression unreadable.
Asahi absentmindedly ruffled the fur around Eevee's neck, ignoring its silent protest. "Why are you asking that?"
"Obviously, I'm keeping an eye on you for Green!" Sabrina declared righteously.
"Is that really the only reason?" Asahi gave her a sly smile.
Sabrina squirmed slightly under his gaze but tried to maintain her composure. "Of course! Green and I are close friends…"
She didn't even finish before Asahi cut her off. "If you say so."
That smile of his made Sabrina uneasy.
Did Asahi… figure something out?
…
By the time Cynthia had unpacked and changed, she returned to the café only to find Asahi playing with Eevee while Sabrina sat there, lost in thought.
Though curious about what had just transpired, Cynthia didn't ask — after all, they weren't that close yet.
Noticing Cynthia's arrival, Asahi spoke first. "Miss Cynthia, I'm in charge of security for the Indigo League tournament. Given the recent hijacking attempt by Team Galactic, I'd like to gather some information about them."
It was a reasonable request. Cynthia nodded and briefly outlined the basics about Team Galactic in the Sinnoh region — their leader Cyrus and the key commanders: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Charon.
Then she shared her thoughts. "I came to Kanto representing the Sinnoh League to establish cooperation between our regions. It seems Team Galactic caught wind of this and tried to sabotage the alliance."
Team Galactic's last plan had already been foiled by the Sinnoh League, and now that Cynthia sought Kanto's support, their future would only grow harder. Their intentions were clear — disrupt the partnership at all costs.
"I heard that in ancient times, Team Galactic were the pioneers of Sinnoh… hard to believe they've devolved into this," Asahi mused.
He thought of the Hisui region's Team Galactic — back then, they were simply an expedition team investigating the land.
Time was a frightening force. What once began as an exploration group in Sinnoh had morphed into a criminal organization hell-bent on controlling Dialga and Palkia to destroy the world and create a new one.
Cynthia seemed surprised by Asahi's knowledge. "Mr. Asahi, you're familiar with Sinnoh's history?"
Even in Sinnoh, most people saw Team Galactic only as "criminals" or "lunatics." Few knew they had ancient roots stretching back to Sinnoh's founding. Such details were buried in old records, only found in the League's libraries.
"I've done some research," Asahi replied.
Not only had he learned from pre-isekai knowledge through Legends: Arceus, but after obtaining the elemental plates, he had also combed through the International Police database for more information — just in case Arceus ever came knocking. He refused to be caught unprepared.
Bringing the topic back on track, Asahi added, "I've got what I need. Rest assured, Miss Cynthia — this is Kanto's territory. Team Galactic won't cause any trouble here."
If this were the future, with Cyrus wielding the Red Chain to control Dialga and Palkia, Asahi might be a bit more cautious. But for now?
He could take on ten of the current Cyrus.
Seeing Asahi's confidence, Cynthia couldn't help but find him a bit amusing. "Oh, there's one more thing."
She reached for a temperature-controlled case nearby.
Opening it, a Pokémon egg with red and blue patterns rested inside.
"Eevee?" Eevee tilted its head, curious.
Though the egg reminded it of Ethan's Togepi egg, there was something slightly different about this one — though it couldn't quite place what.
"I heard from Lance that you wanted to raise a Togepi," Cynthia said. "As it happens, my Togekiss and a Togetic recently had an egg…"
She gently pushed the case toward Asahi.
"I've been looking for a suitable trainer for this little one."
Asahi didn't take her words at face value — as the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia could have her pick of eager trainers lining up to adopt this egg.
He placed a hand on the egg.
The case was warm to the touch, and when Asahi activated his Aura, he sensed the Togepi's strong, vibrant life force within.
"It's about to hatch," he observed.
To Cynthia's surprise, Asahi pulled out a GS Ball and summoned Celebi.
Still half-asleep, Celebi blinked in confusion, unsure why it had been called.
Asahi pointed at the Togepi egg. "Give it a blessing."
"Bi~!" Celebi pouted — waking it up just for this? Didn't Asahi notice how dark the circles under its eyes had gotten lately?
Asahi: "…?"
How was that his fault? Celebi's eye bags were always there!
After bickering for a while, Celebi, clearly annoyed, huffed and turned away, but still raised its tiny hands.
A green light flowed into the Togepi egg.
Crack.
A fracture appeared near the top of the egg.
Then—
"Ja bi ja bi boi~!"
With a cheerful chirp, Togepi broke through the shell, poking its head out.
The newborn Togepi didn't seem shy at all. It glanced around, ignored Eevee's friendly greeting, and promptly leapt into Asahi's arms — headfirst.
Oof…
Feeling the force of that "Tackle," Asahi suspected Togepi might have just used Headbutt.
Sighing as the little Togepi nuzzled into his chest, Asahi resigned himself.
Well, it was just a baby…
Watching Asahi grimace, both Sabrina and Cynthia couldn't help but smile.
Cynthia, having recovered from her surprise at seeing Celebi, was also pleased by Togepi's affection for Asahi.
"If Togepi likes you, then I'm relieved," she said.
"You can count on me," Asahi replied, placing Togepi gently on the table.
Just then, the waiter arrived with three servings of ice cream.
Cynthia's gaze instantly locked onto the desserts.
"This is…"
"Ice cream made with Moomoo Milk — I heard you liked it, Miss Cynthia…"
Before Asahi could finish, he noticed Cynthia had already entered a deep internal struggle.
"Which one should I pick…?"
…