The Dandelion Hotel was not the finest hotel in Sun Heart City. Sister had chosen it for only one reason, it was elegant enough.
This four-story boutique hotel had always been famous for hosting celebrities and members of high society. Because tonight's guests were of exceptional importance, security around the premises was extremely tight, with Officer Jenny leading the operation personally.
The reason Luther couldn't reach Cynthia or the others was simple: upon entering the venue, everyone's phones had been temporarily collected by the attendants. Important meetings were always handled this way for confidentiality.
Nearly every influential figure in the Sinnoh League was present tonight. The Hodgepodge Organization had been wiped out within Sinnoh, and the operation had also exposed some embarrassing secrets involving the International Police. Both sides needed to sit down and have a serious discussion.
---
Lucian had already replaced the food on his plate three or four times. Cynthia suspected that before the night was over, he would have sampled every dish on the menu. 'What an appetite...'
Watching Cynthia absentmindedly swirl a glass of fruit juice in her hand, Lucian leaned over and quietly asked, "Still worried about that kid, Luther?"
Everyone was doing their best to keep the truth from Mai and the others, but it was only a matter of time before they found out. Cynthia sighed without answering.
As he continued eating, Lucian said, "If you ask me, try not to worry so much. Luther isn't the type to get himself killed that easily. Maybe something unexpected happened on the road. Who knows? He might even have left Sinnoh for a while."
Cynthia shot him a look.
"Then tell me, what kind of unexpected situation could make Luther disappear from Sinnoh altogether?"
Lucian stopped chewing and thought seriously for a moment.
"...Maybe a passing Legendary Pokémon happened to scoop him up?"
Cynthia covered her forehead in exasperation. She reached over, grabbed one of the pastries from Lucian's plate, and stuffed it into her own mouth.
"You win. I have to admit, making someone so speechless that they steal your food is a remarkable talent."
---
Bertha walked over curiously.
"The banquet's about to begin, yet Sister still hasn't arrived. That's unusual. This time he's the one asking the Sinnoh League for help. You'd think he'd at least show a little more sincerity."
Tonight, Cynthia and the Elite Four were only here to give Sister a detailed account of their encounters with the Hodgepodge Organization.
As for whatever political bargaining the League's higher-ups intended to conduct with the International Police, they had no interest in getting involved. As a result, the Elite Four were far more relaxed than the other League officials.
They ate when they wanted to eat and drank when they wanted to drink.
---
Flint and Aaron noticed a familiar figure passing briefly in the distance.
"When did Harold come back?" Flint asked. "Wasn't he stationed in the Kalos Region?"
"Today," Cynthia replied, casting a casual glance toward Harold as he disappeared into the crowd. "He applied for three months' leave. He said he came back to have some fun."
Harold turned around. His eyes met Cynthia's for an instant before he immediately shifted his gaze away.
Aaron sighed. "That guy still hates appearing alongside you at official events, just like always."
---
Harold rode the elevator alone down to the underground parking garage. At this hour, every guest had already arrived at the main banquet hall on the fourth floor, leaving the garage completely silent. Leaning against his car, Harold lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.
He truly disliked appearing beside Cynthia at formal occasions. Events like these inevitably stirred up old memories.
Whenever Harold and Cynthia stood together, someone would almost inevitably ask, "Cynthia's the Champion now. So, Harold... what are you doing these days?"
Most people who asked meant no offense; it was simply a way to start a conversation. But time had carried too many things away.
The Harold who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with Cynthia as one of Sinnoh's celebrated Twin Stars had long since faded from people's memories.
And so, whenever they appeared together, those old memories would resurface, prompting everyone to unconsciously ask about Harold's current situation. The feeling was much like when you were a child and your parents constantly compared you to the kid next door.
Harold didn't want to be compared to Cynthia. He had squandered his talent, wasted his youth, and successfully ruined his own future. But the one thing he couldn't stand was having that question drag his past out over and over again, as if people were repeatedly whipping a corpse.
---
The lights in the underground parking garage suddenly flickered several times. Just as Harold was about to complain about the building's poor maintenance, they went out completely.
"What happened to 'elegant'? What a dump... I can't even smoke in peace," he grumbled under his breath.
Then came the sound of what seemed like a manhole cover being shifted, followed by the sliding door of a van opening. Someone hissed, "Quiet."
Dense, hurried footsteps echoed throughout the garage. Harold frowned. Realizing something was wrong, he immediately stubbed out his cigarette, rolled over, and slid beneath a nearby parked car.
---
A dozen or so people dressed entirely in black entered the garage carrying briefcases. After searching the area, several of them headed toward the emergency stairwell.
"Hurry up. Once the signal jammers are set up upstairs, we're pulling out. As soon as the underground garage and the first floor are blown, they won't have any chance of escaping."
"Is the fourth floor ready?"
"According to the serving schedule, the kitchen's food carts should head out in about ten minutes."
Harold's heart pounded violently as cold sweat streamed down his back. He didn't need to know any additional context; those few sentences alone were enough to tell him exactly what was happening.
These people intended to use the Sinnoh League gathering as an opportunity to kill everyone in attendance.
The sheer audacity of the plan was unprecedented. Its brutality exceeded anything Harold had ever imagined, leaving him momentarily dizzy.
There was no doubt about it: the people in the underground garage were planting explosives. Judging by the footsteps, Harold estimated there were seven of them down here.
---
His dizziness faded. Harold had always loved excitement, and this kind of life-or-death situation, where either they died or he did, was a thrill unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He crawled out from beneath the car and casually dusted off his hands.
The sound immediately caused the black-clad operatives to turn toward him. Even in complete darkness, Harold effortlessly lit another cigarette, the tiny flame illuminating the mocking grin spread across his face.
"Need a hand?"
Several powerful flashlights immediately focused on him. Once they realized he was alone, they relaxed.
"It's only one person."
"Eliminate him."
"Don't delay the installation of the Egg Bombs. We still need enough time to withdraw."
---
The moment Houndour, Victreebel, and Sableye appeared, each equipped with a Type-3 Amplifier, Harold's heart skipped a beat. He recognized those devices immediately from internal intelligence reports.
'Wasn't the Hodgepodge Organization already destroyed? Then who the hell was carrying out this terrorist attack?'
Seeing Harold apparently unable to even draw a Poké Ball before being engulfed by the Pokémon's attacks, the operatives suddenly froze. Something was wrong. There were no screams.
A cold, disdainful voice emerged from the darkness.
"What made you think... that three Pokémon would be enough to deal with me?"
Before the operatives could swing their flashlights toward the source of the voice, a black shadow smashed every flashlight to pieces. In the final instant before the light disappeared, two ghostly figures emerged from the gloom: Banette and Chandelure.
Harold sneered into the dark. "I may not be able to beat Cynthia... but you think I can't handle the likes of you?"
(End of Chapter)
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