"So..."
Shiro recalled that old hag, Agatha.
Quasi-Champion level… was it really that impressive?
He fell into thought.
Then, based on his current strength, even without Mesprit's help, he would at least be at the level of an Elite Four in a normal region, essentially quasi-Elite tier. And if he did have Mesprit's assistance, clearing the Sinnoh upper ranks would be like crushing fodder. It would be over before he even got warmed up.
If things turned ugly and there was no other choice, then with just these Sinnoh higher-ups, unless they had some special methods, they really wouldn't be able to control him.
After all, he was already a wanted criminal. At worst, he would just pull out his Poké Balls and fight head-on. Today, he would see who ended up making a bigger fool of themselves.
The Sinnoh Elite Four and Champion being beaten down by an unknown fugitive from Galar… just thinking about it was exciting.
While Shiro's thoughts ran wild, Carolina suddenly spoke from the front, "We're here. You can get off now."
The train stopped at the edge of Snowpoint City, and not far from the station were the steps leading up to the Sinnoh League atop the mountain.
The four of them stepped off. Rowan instructed the accompanying researchers to stay behind and watch the luggage, then began climbing the steps.
The mountain was tall, but the path was short. After only a few steps, they saw trainers waiting beside the staircase, holding Poké Balls. Their Pokémon were specially trained Staraptor, used to assist those who needed to ascend the mountain but did not want the trouble or lacked Flying-type Pokémon.
Shiro and the others mounted the Staraptor and quickly ascended, soon reaching the end of the gray-white staircase.
Before them lay a circular platform plaza built of pale marble. Along its edges stood six stone pillars carved with intricate patterns, and beyond them rose the towering six-story League building.
"Chairman George is waiting for you on the sixth floor."
With that, the Staraptor trainer flew back down the mountain.
Shiro and Rowan climbed a few more steps side by side and entered the League building ahead.
At the entrance stood two attendants in yellow. They bowed respectfully, then moved ahead to guide them.
Inside, the Sinnoh League building was lavishly decorated. Silks of various colors covered the floors, while murals, porcelain, and reliefs depicting legends were everywhere, dazzling the eye.
On the sixth floor, the first thing they saw was a pair of massive doors several meters wide.
"Chairman George and the others are already waiting inside," one attendant said before stepping aside.
Shiro and Rowan exchanged a glance. Rowan stepped forward and pushed the doors open.
Inside, two beautiful female attendants stood at the entrance, raising their hands in unison toward the long and massive conference table.
Five people sat around it.
At the head was a long-haired man with a small mustache. To his right, from front to back, sat a narrow-eyed man with a flat haircut, an ugly and overweight woman, a balding old man, and a chubby man with squinting eyes.
All five turned to look at them.
Rowan's expression darkened as he and Shiro strode toward the opposite side of the table.
Behind them, Carolina and Cynthia were about to follow, but the two female attendants suddenly extended their arms to block them. They had received orders, and no one other than Rowan and Shiro was allowed inside.
"Move."
Carolina's voice turned cold. With a sharp motion, she slapped away one attendant's wrist and walked in with Cynthia.
The struck attendant clutched her reddened hand. Seeing that none of the important figures inside objected, she endured the pain and withdrew with her companion.
Bang!
The doors closed, and nine people now sat steadily within the conference room. Neither side spoke. They simply observed one another in silence.
Shiro had already asked Rowan about these people on the train, so he could recognize them all.
The mustached man at the head was the current Sinnoh Chairman, George. According to Rowan, he was a dog worse than a Houndour. The flat-haired man was the current Champion of Sinnoh, Allen, a quasi-Champion level trainer.
The fat woman Sherry, the old man Fredo, and the chubby man Vince were the current Elite Four members.
"Why is one Elite Four member missing? Where's Bertha?" Carolina asked sharply after scanning the room.
George smiled faintly and spread his hands. "Bertha had something come up and went to visit her sister in Kanto."
Bertha had only recently taken her position. She had been transferred from Kanto and was not aligned with the others. She was the younger sister of Agatha from Kanto's Elite Four, known for her gentle nature and specialization in Ground-type Pokémon.
Carolina did not dwell on Bertha's absence. She was not concerned about that and simply wanted to seize control of the conversation.
"This meeting has gathered three Elite Four members, the Champion, the Chairman, and a Professor. That qualifies as an official emergency meeting of the Sinnoh League, doesn't it?"
"Of course." George nodded. "And the final conclusion will carry legal authority within Sinnoh."
At that, a cold glint flashed in Carolina's eyes as she said sharply, "Then the topic of discussion is the pirate group in the southern Sinnoh seas, which high-ranking officials in Sinnoh are connected to them, and who is responsible for the financial corruption in Sinnoh over the past few years."
After hearing this, the three Elite Four members looked uneasy and glanced toward Champion Allen and Chairman George.
George, however, remained calm and asked in return, "Where is the evidence, Professor Carolina? Such a topic requires sufficient proof, does it not? On the contrary, I would like to ask why you and the young lady beside you are present at this meeting when neither of you were invited."
"And furthermore, the topic for this meeting has already been submitted and confirmed, with documents prepared. The topic concerns the corruption and illegal activities of the Rowan Research Institute."
Carolina frowned deeply. "The research community is interconnected. I can act as a witness. If you have evidence of corruption at the Rowan Research Institute, present it. All of the laboratory's accounts have been brought here. You may inspect them at any time."
Bang!
A large bundle of documents was slammed onto the table by Rowan and pushed toward George.
But George merely brushed the files aside with his hand, showing no intention of even glancing at them, not even for show.
The very fact that these accounts had been brought here already meant they were clean. And even if there were issues, he could not be bothered to look. Whether the laboratory had committed corruption was not important.
Clearing his throat, George turned his gaze to Cynthia. "This must be Miss Cynthia. As a professor, even without an invitation, Professor Carolina has the right to act as a witness. But a reserve Elite Four member does not seem to have the right to freely attend an official meeting, does she?"
Cynthia opened her mouth, only to find she had no way to refute it.
From a formal standpoint, even as Carolina's granddaughter, she did not have the status required to participate in this meeting. If they insisted on following strict rules, she truly had no right to be here.
"In that case, Miss Cynthia, shouldn't you step outside and wait?" the chubby man Vince said with a smiling expression as he pointed toward the door.
Cynthia clenched her fists, but there was nothing she could do. This was not a battlefield. Even if she wanted to beat that fat man senseless, she had no way to do it here. This was the Sinnoh League headquarters.
Slowly, she began to stand.
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