"If I had not left the League back then, I should probably have a smile like this now, right? And with my abilities, at the very least I would already be a high-ranking official of the League. Even if I hadn't reached the position of Champion, at the very least I would be one of the Elite Four," Kael said, as his smile disappeared and was replaced by an indifferent and icy expression.
The council elder slowly shook his head. "If back then you had not remained in the Space-Time Continent without returning, by now you would already be the vice president of the League headquarters. And when I was no longer able to continue, the president would have been you."
Vice president of the League headquarters?
And when the council elder could no longer continue, the next president would have been him?
Just what kind of identity did this Kael possess to be valued so highly by the council elder?
But Kael was full of disdain. Curling his lip, he said, "Bah, I don't believe a single word. You decrepit old fox, you're quite the liar. Didn't you say the same thing to that guy, Giovanni?"
Cain's eyes widened. Had he just heard a universal truth?
"Hahahahaha!" The council elder burst into loud laughter. "You two were indeed the people I trusted most back then. And the facts have also proven that I did not misjudge either of you. You both undoubtedly had the potential to become the top powers of this world."
"But it seems you failed to keep either of us," Kael replied, his voice growing colder and colder. "The longer one remains in contact with the League, the more one realizes that it has existed for far too long. Many of its methods are already outdated and rotten, and are no longer suitable for the current Pokémon world."
"Under your management, the League's progress is far too slow. You are incapable of administering the world in a truly systematic manner."
"Your methods are far too lenient: always hesitant, always excessively cautious. In your eyes, any proposal becomes an extreme idea. You old people only think about preserving what you already have, not about progress."
From this speech alone, one could hear how dissatisfied he was with the entire League.
But the council elder's expression did not change. He continued smiling as he said, "For that very reason, sooner or later the League will fall into the hands of young people like you, and it will shine even more brilliantly in your hands..."
"But I cannot wait!" Before the elder finished speaking, Kael interrupted him directly, and his face became somewhat fierce. "You old man, relying on the support and assistance of Arceus, I don't know how many years you've already lived. No one knows exactly how old you are. Who the hell knows how long you will continue living!"
The power of Arceus?
No wonder the council elder, despite his advanced age, still appeared so robust and also possessed so many mysterious abilities. If it was because of Arceus, then everything made sense.
The League was born with the support of Arceus and developed into its current state. Seen this way, it was also understandable.
Arceus created the Pokémon world, the League governs the Pokémon world; saying that the League administers the world in the name of Arceus would not be incorrect.
"I am already a rotten old man. The reason I have endured until today is only because someone to whom I can entrust the League with complete peace of mind has not yet appeared. So I am afraid this old man will have to keep holding on for a while longer," the council elder said calmly.
In reality, in a fundamental sense, he had long since reached the extreme limit of human lifespan. It was only that, for now, no one had yet emerged within the League to whom he could hand it over with complete peace of mind.
There were promising candidates, but they had not yet fully matured. He still needed to endure for them for some time longer, at least until they grew.
That the League in recent years had developed in a more conservative manner was not because that was truly his intention, but because he needed to provide the new generation with a relatively stable environment, and he had no choice but to act that way.
Now, the new generation of the League had already begun to gradually mature, becoming the central pillars of each region. Presumably, if he could endure a while longer, he would be able to hand over the League with peace of mind.
"Heh..." Kael let out a light laugh, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the elder's words. Who knew whether what he said was true or not.
"My purpose in coming here is very simple. I may not destroy the League, and I do not have to kill anyone here. Just hand over that thing to me!" Kael said with a serious expression, extending one hand coldly.
Looking down at the council elder from a higher position, that outstretched hand demanding something carried an imposing presence.
The council elder slowly shook his head. "Even if you completely destroyed this League headquarters and buried everyone present here, you still would not obtain what you desire."
"Old man! Is it really worth it?"
"As long as you hand over that object, I can even guarantee that I will never again appear in the Pokémon world and will disappear forever," Kael said, frowning deeply, as if determined to obtain that object at any cost.
Cain, who was observing from the side, also frowned. What kind of object was it that the Sacred Church bishop absolutely had to obtain?
From the current situation, the other party's true objective was not to destroy the League headquarters, but to obtain an object located there. And from the council elder's words, it seemed that even if everyone present died, he still would not allow Kael to obtain it.
"There is no point continuing to talk. If you want to take it, you may come and try. This old man also wishes to see what level your strength has reached after so many years of disappearing and concealing your abilities." As he spoke, the council elder slowly rose into the air. His wide gray coarse robe fluttered without wind, revealing the Poké Balls at his waist.
Cain narrowed his eyes. That council elder must represent the absolute ceiling of the League's current power. He wondered what kind of strength he truly possessed.
"Heh, although these years I have been working hard to improve, I still have some self-awareness. I know that I am not yet your opponent, so this time I have prepared quite a good opponent for you. I suppose it will also satisfy that strength of yours that has not been displayed for a long time," Kael said with an ambiguous smile, as he raised his left hand and gently traced a line in the air.
Upon seeing his movement, the council elder frowned. He had a very bad premonition.
(End of chapter)