"I'm already in Hulbury. I'll be there soon."
Inside the challengers' tunnel, Shiro spoke in a low voice.
Professor Rowan quickly replied, trying to reassure him. "No rush, no rush. Look at the time. Even if the Royal Unova waits a whole day, it's fine."
"Alright, thank you," Shiro answered.
"No trouble at all," Rowan said with a broad smile. "We'll follow your lead. You can leave whenever you like."
"Okay."
Shiro put away his communicator but didn't end the call. A faint psychic glow appeared in his eyes, and the figure of Unown A slowly emerged on his shoulder.
'A, what's the furthest distance you can teleport in one go?' he asked.
'If I bring you with me... two kilometers is still no problem.'
As soon as it finished speaking, it wrapped him in psychic energy. The space around them twisted, and both of them vanished from sight.
* * *
Back at the battlefield, the referee Ryan continued introducing the next challenger. "The next challenger is Lina, the daughter of Hulbury Gym Leader Nathan. She's said to be the most talented Water-type trainer in the town. This time it's a battle between father and daughter. Let's see what kind of spectacle they'll bring us..."
His voice echoed through the arena, though few were actually paying attention.
Nathan, one of the key figures in the match, took advantage of the break to return to the passage at the back of the arena and released his injured Toxapex for quick treatment.
The Pokémon was in bad shape. Its face was twisted in pain, and thick, purple-red blood laced with poison kept seeping from its body, making treatment difficult. Thankfully, Nathan carried professional gloves with him to keep the toxins from reaching his hands.
Around the battlefield, camera operators hurriedly adjusted their positions and equipment. In the stands, other challengers chatted idly.
"Dynamaxing is still a new development," Sonia explained to a group of trainers in front of her. "As you can see, there are still many things to improve. But we'll keep refining it. Besides, Dynamax can already be applied to..."
Unfortunately, Nessa had left early to prepare for her roadblock challenge, and both Marvin and Allister seemed uninterested. Leon wasn't listening at all, and Raihan was staring at her with a strange grin.
Sonia felt uneasy under his gaze and frowned. "What are you smiling at, Raihan?"
"It's been quite a while..." His grin widened. "Shouldn't Shiro be back by now? He didn't sneak off to the bathroom on the way here, did he?"
Her face darkened slightly. She didn't have time to respond and hurriedly pulled out her communicator to report to another person in charge.
Pa!
Sitting beside her, Allister swiftly grabbed her wrist with a firm grip she couldn't break free from.
"Allister..." She forced a bitter smile, nearly in tears. "It's just a routine report. Let me send one message."
He slowly loosened his hand and said seriously, "I want to see it."
"Fine..." Sonia nodded quickly.
Once he let go, she raised her communicator and typed a brief message:
"Shiro seems to have left the gym. Please watch out for him."
After sending it, she held the device up and spun it once in front of her to show him. Allister gave a small nod and said nothing more.
In the back, Shae and Edgar kept an eye on Sonia but made no move.
* * *
Behind the Hulbury Gym, at the open-air ocean training grounds.
At the edge of the platform, a middle-aged man in a floral shirt and brown shorts stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing toward the golden cruise ship anchored quietly in the distance. His skin was tanned, and a short beard circled his mouth. He bore a strong resemblance to Rose.
He was none other than the chairman's younger brother, the former Champion of Galar, Peony.
Feeling his communicator vibrate in his pocket, he took it out and glanced at the screen, then tucked it away without reacting.
"Mmm... the sea breeze feels good," he murmured, his eyes fixed on the Royal Unova.
A short while later, as the ship slowly started its engines and prepared to leave, Peony finally threw out a Poké Ball.
"Come out, Bronzong!"
The ancient, blue-green bell appeared and immediately released psychic energy, teleporting the two away from the railing in an instant.
* * *
On the deck of the Royal Unova, Captain Norton returned to the bridge with a puzzled expression and began steering the ship to turn around.
He had just been waiting inexplicably when Professor Rowan suddenly told him to turn back, even though the person he was supposed to pick up hadn't boarded yet. He hadn't even seen a shadow of anyone.
Norton was full of questions today. Both Rowan's instructions and that other professor's behavior were baffling. And this Hulbury, who would have thought the only seaside port town in the Galar region would be completely deserted? All communication had to be done remotely through official phone lines.
It was all strange.
He had never seen a town like this. From the outside, it looked normal, but whether on the beaches or in the streets, not a soul could be found.
"Unbelievable..." he complained while continuing to maneuver the cruise ship.
Just as the Royal Unova finished turning, he suddenly spotted a figure on the monitor.
Right in front of the ship, slightly above deck level, was a man. Behind him floated a Pokémon that looked like a Bronzong.
The two hovered in midair.
"Wha…" Norton's eyes widened. In over ten years of sailing, he hadn't seen anyone block a ship like this. Was this person trying to stop them or get their attention? Could this be that Galar professor, using a Pokémon's psychic power to board? That was plausible... but why didn't he just land on the deck?
"Pro–Professor Rowan..." Norton's voice carried uncertainty. "There's a stranger ahead of the ship, with a Bronzong. He's floating in front of us. Could he be the professor?"
Rowan fell silent for a few seconds, then replied decisively, "Ignore him. Keep sailing."
He had just spoken with Corviknight, who confirmed he was already inside the ship. So whoever was floating outside wasn't him. He was likely from that company Macro Cosmos, trying to stop Corviknight from leaving.
A trace of unease rose in his chest.
Out on the waters near Hulbury, as the Royal Unova prepared to sail forward after turning, Peony called out, "Stop the ship! Undergo inspection!"
His voice, amplified by psychic power, echoed across the nearby sea area and through the entire vessel.
**
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