Li Yuan spent the entire morning being "processed" by Huanhuan and Mother Tsareena.
It wasn't until the afternoon that he managed to escape to the train station and catch a high-speed rail to Eterna City.
Eterna City, like many locations, had been transported to this world when the regions merged. It had a long history and housed the Eterna Historical Museum.
Li Yuan arrived in the evening. Just as he was about to call Cynthia for dinner, a convoy of police cars screamed past him, sirens wailing. It looked like the entire criminal investigation division was mobilizing.
Even more shocking was the figure flying low behind the convoy. A Garchomp—fierce and terrifying—carried a familiar blonde beauty on its back.
It was his wife, Cynthia.
Her expression was serious. Something big had happened. Li Yuan hadn't expected to arrive just as a major plot event triggered. He decided to follow.
...
In the west of Eterna City, the Industrial and Commercial Bank was surrounded by police.
Inside, a group of criminals in distinct uniforms held the building hostage. They carried specialized firearms and commanded dangerous Pokémon. The bank staff and customers were hostages; some were already lying in pools of blood, their lives hanging by a thread.
The police were frantic, shouting demands for the release of the injured. A bank robbery was bad enough; casualties would be a disaster for their careers.
They had tried sending Ghost-type Pokémon to infiltrate, but the criminals' Houndooms and Golbats detected them instantly. Worse, the female leader guarding the entrance had a Skuntank with an aura rivaling an Elite Four member. A frontal assault was impossible.
The standoff was frozen. Desperate, the police had called in Cynthia.
But Li Yuan wasn't optimistic. Even with Cynthia, what could she do? She couldn't storm the building without risking the hostages. If civilians died in front of her, the public backlash would be immense.
"What's the situation?" Cynthia landed at the front line, asking urgently.
"Champion, it's bad. There are injured hostages inside. If we don't get them medical attention soon, people will die," the police captain reported, frowning deeply.
Since the worlds merged twenty years ago, policing had become a nightmare. Pokémon abilities like X-ray vision and Hypnosis made crime too easy. Even in a stable country, major crimes were frequent. And now, a heavy-firepower terrorist group had appeared.
"I'll try to negotiate," Cynthia said, frowning.
If there were no casualties, they could stall. But with lives at stake, time was running out. Unless the bank let them take the money and leave, she didn't see a clean solution. But maybe they would respect the Champion's face and release the injured?
"Oh? Isn't this our beautiful and powerful Champion? I didn't expect small fry like us to attract such a big shot," the purple-haired woman at the door teased, her voice dripping with mockery.
"Team Galactic. What do you want?" Cynthia recognized the uniform immediately. The woman was Commander Jupiter.
They had attacked Veilstone City before, stealing meteorites for reasons unknown. They were wanted criminals, yet here they were, boldly robbing a bank. Did they think the League was helpless?
"Hehe. You rich girls wouldn't understand our ideals. I advise you not to wade into this muddy water, Champion. You can't handle it~," Jupiter laughed, showing zero fear.
"I don't care what you want. Take the money if you must, but release the wounded. Killing innocents benefits no one," Cynthia tried to reason, creating an atmosphere where money could be traded for lives.
Even terrorists didn't want to provoke the full wrath of the state, right?
"Hehe. My beautiful Champion, you're not just pretty; you're naïve. Since we've done this, we've already decided to fight the government to the death. Do you understand?" Jupiter sneered. Did she think this would end peacefully?
"Are you sure you can handle the consequences?" Cynthia's face darkened.
"Once our goal is achieved, the government won't matter! They are nothing!" Jupiter looked manic. She raised her submachine gun and fired a burst at Cynthia to prove her point.
She dared to shoot a Champion. What were civilians to her?
Fortunately, Garchomp was ready. With a casual wave of her claw, she deflected the bullets effortlessly. Champions weren't that easy to kill.
"Team Galactic, you will regret this," Cynthia said grimly. She realized negotiation was useless. These were fanatics.
Jupiter shrugged. Mortals couldn't understand their great ideal. Once the New World was created, who cared what they thought?
The standoff resumed. The pressure on Cynthia was immense. The crowd watching from a distance expected her to solve this, but her hands were tied. She hated having power but being unable to use it.
At least let me save the injured...
"Huh? Is that... Li Yuan?"
Just as Cynthia was feeling the weight of the world, she saw something shocking. A familiar figure teleported directly inside the bank, right past the police cordon.
It was the brat who teased her on the phone every day.
That guy... why does he always show up when I'm in trouble? You showing off like this makes it hard for me too~.