In less than fifteen minutes, news that the Academic Summit had ended spread across every major region.
As the general meeting of the academic world, one that would deeply influence the future of the Pokémon world, it naturally received close attention from upper leadership everywhere.
* * *
Kanto.
Indigo Plateau Headquarters Building.
League Chairman Goodshow sat behind his long executive desk, stroking his beard as he looked through the file in front of him.
"Hmm... so the Pokémon Academic Summit is over. There was actually an unexpected result."
In the document, Shiro stood out sharply as the only person who had successfully completed the professor conferment.
Goodshow knew that before this, nearly ten years had passed without a new professor. This was likely the result of Oak tightening his control over the academic world. However, Goodshow had no interest in Oak's selfish motives.
As long as such matters did not affect the majority of trainers, it did not matter.
But...
"This Shiro becoming a professor... seems not to have received Oak's approval, right?"
He flipped through the file repeatedly. After reading Oak's actions and statements, he could already imagine what had happened at the scene.
Oak was not someone easy to deal with.
"To receive unanimous approval under those circumstances, he must have used some kind of method..."
Goodshow narrowed his eyes and carefully reviewed Shiro's previous records, but still could not figure anything out. In the end, he shook his head and set the file down.
"Forget it. A Galar Champion... in any case, he has nothing to do with those organizations. Even if he became a professor, it is no great matter. Approve the professor application directly."
After stamping the papers, Goodshow called in the secretary outside the door, gave instructions, and handed over the file.
He had always supported geniuses.
* * *
Fuchsia City.
A secret room inside the Fuchsia Gym.
The room was dimly lit, but through the narrow light slipping in from the door crack, a figure could barely be seen in the center.
The man wore a dark skintight suit and a mask. He was balancing upside down on one hand.
It was none other than the Fuchsia Gym Leader, and one of Team Rocket's executives, Koga.
Ever since failing the mission in the Triangle Sea, he had trained relentlessly without daring to relax for even a moment. All for the day when he could defeat that man from Galar and wash away the humiliation of having his Pokémon stolen.
The moment Koga thought of it, his facial muscles twisted from excessive force, and his face turned red.
Buzzt!
The communicator attached to his waist began vibrating. This was a special contact device exclusive to Team Rocket executives. When it rang, it meant the boss had sent a message.
Koga flipped cleanly to the ground, then swiftly pulled out the device and placed it to his ear.
"Boss! What are your orders?"
His tone was respectful, and he even bowed his head slightly while speaking.
A deep and magnetic voice came from the other side. "Koga, the Poké Balls you lost have been found."
Hearing that, Koga's eyes sharpened. His nerves instantly tightened to the extreme, and though his mouth opened, no words came out.
He was afraid.
After that battle in the Triangle Sea... with Team Rocket's intelligence network, and with Shiro recently making headlines, Koga had quickly learned that the person who defeated him and took his Pokémon was the Galar Champion.
But as a member of an evil organization, his identity had already been completely exposed before that Champion.
According to normal procedure, Shiro should have informed League leadership of his identity, then handed over the captured Pokémon as spoils to League researchers, who would perform cruel experiments usually forbidden.
Because of that, Koga had never expected to recover his Pokémon. He had already assumed they had all been sacrificed.
Yet now the boss was saying those Pokémon had been found?
He did not dare imagine what kind of torment his loyal and lovable Poison-type Pokémon had suffered. Perhaps some low-ranking grunt had picked them up from a League dumping ground...
Koga's voice trembled as he replied, "Boss, I... I understand... please just bury them properly for me. I truly..."
"Wait a moment." Giovanni frowned slightly on the other end. "Koga, I think you misunderstood something."
Koga hesitated to speak.
What misunderstanding could there be?
Could it be that the Champion was so kind-hearted that after stealing his Pokémon, he had released them all?
Leaving aside Team Rocket, which operated by stealing Pokémon as one of its principles, even the League had no such saint.
Giovanni had no interest in dragging things out and spoke directly. "Someone contacted us and sold your Pokémon back. It was the Hunters Guild... you should understand what that means."
Koga froze, unable to react to the sudden news.
The Hunters Guild contacted Team Rocket to sell back the Pokémon of a Team Rocket executive...
This...
That Galar Champion had actually sold his Pokémon to the Hunters Guild!
Koga's face twitched violently from the emotional shock. For a moment, he did not know whether to feel anger or relief.
But in the end, a humiliation far greater than before rose in his heart. The proud Fuchsia Gym Leader, one of Team Rocket's great executives… and he had been looked down upon to this extent?
This could no longer be called contempt. That man had never even looked at him seriously.
He robbed the Pokémon, then sold them back, showing no fear of strengthening an enemy and no fear of revenge...
Koga trembled all over.
"Enough. I've already had your Pokémon sent back to you."
Giovanni did not wait for a response and continued calmly, "All of them are healthy. No injuries and no other problems. You may rest assured."
Koga stood stunned for several seconds before shouting loudly, "Yes, Boss!"
Giovanni gave a simple hum and did not mention the one hundred million Pokédollars spent to buy the Pokémon back.
* * *
Saffron City.
Top floor of Silph Co. Tower.
In front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, on the center seat of a dark long sofa, Giovanni sat with one leg crossed over the other. His expression was calm as he lowered the phone.
"Give me that report again."
He extended a hand toward the secretary standing beside him. A neat file was handed over.
On the top-right corner of the first page was a large photo of Shiro in a white lab coat, standing on the stage of the Academic Summit.
It was taken at the exact moment before voting ended. Shiro wore a faint smile, clearly having already expected what would happen next.
"Galar Champion. Receiving professor conferment in Kanto. Unanimous approval..." Giovanni muttered to himself and shook his head slightly.
If it had not truly happened, he would have thought it was fake news invented by some shameless media outlet.
But it had already become fact.
"The report says Galar officials gave research donations to those researchers... How could it be that simple?"
He spoke softly, but no matter how he thought about it, he could not understand the key point.
To make everyone vote yes, it definitely was not just a simple exchange of benefits. Some unconventional method had absolutely been used.
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