[Already on the way to Unova.]
Grey sent N a message.
He quickly got a reply.
[Okay. I'll come find you in a couple of days. Right now it's not very convenient.]
Grey glanced at the message, sent back an emoji, and then put his phone away.
The trip went smoothly.
By the time the plane landed at Castelia International Airport, the setting sun had already gilded the runway in gold.
Even though the airport was out in the suburbs, one look into the distance was enough to see it.
A forest of steel-like skyscrapers shimmered in the dusk, their glass curtain walls scattering the sunset into countless points of light. Even from this far away, the pulse of the city could still be felt.
"So this is Unova."
Caitlin stepped off the plane, the warm wind lifting the hem of her skirt as the small ornament in her hair chimed softly.
As she looked at the neon lights gradually kindling along the skyline, she felt for the first time just how different Unova's energy was from Sinnoh's.
"So this is Unova... but somehow, it feels a bit like coming home."
Grey stopped outside the terminal.
That familiar yet unfamiliar bustle made him think, for an instant, of Saffron City.
The same steel jungle. The same streams of traffic.
The two cities were like twin children of Kanto and Unova, each carrying the most vigorous life force of its own region.
In the distant harbor, cargo ships blared their horns as they set sail.
Grey took out the Liberty Pass, then slipped it back into his pocket.
"H-hello... excuse me, are you Gym Leader Grey?"
A soft, timid voice came from beside him.
Grey turned and saw a petite woman with round glasses.
She wore a dark purple dress, with black stockings wrapping her long legs. She had short purple hair with straight bangs and a bow tied behind her head.
The one who had come was one of the Unova Elite Four—Shauntal.
But Shauntal looked a little socially anxious, glancing around every few seconds.
The novelist of the Elite Four, famous for specializing in Ghost-types, looked even more nervous right now than her own Chandelure.
Even though Grey's flight had only carried four people, planes from other regions were also landing at Castelia International Airport.
She was afraid she might recognize the wrong person.
Besides, as a novelist, the thing she feared most was being caught by fans in a situation like this.
If they were normal fans, that was one thing.
But if they were former readers who had been traumatized by one of her plot twists, then getting chewed out was pretty much guaranteed.
So Shauntal's voice was barely above a whisper.
Soft enough that only the two of them could hear it clearly.
"Yes, that's me. You're Elite Four Shauntal, right?"
"No, no... ah, yes, yes!"
They had only ever talked online before, and at most seen each other in videos, so even now they could only confirm each other's identities by asking first.
Once both sides had confirmed who was who, Grey kicked the tightly bound Zinzolin over toward her.
"This is Zinzolin, one of Team Plasma's Seven Sages. Give him a look. He should be the real deal."
"Let me see..."
The moment it turned to business, Shauntal seemed like a different person. Her whole expression sharpened as she thoroughly inspected Zinzolin.
She checked here, checked there, and after a careful examination, confirmed that he really was Zinzolin.
"Gym Leader Grey, thank you for your enormous contribution to Unova League's efforts against Team Plasma. During the days you and your friends spend traveling around Unova, all your expenses will be covered by the Unova League."
Shauntal was sincerely grateful.
After all, the Unova League had not had a legitimate reason to take action against Team Plasma yet.
Now they did.
Colluding with Team Rocket outside the region was a major crime.
If Team Plasma had previously only looked like a suspicious group pushing something close to a pyramid scheme, then at worst they would have been detained for a few days before being let go.
But now, with Zinzolin's ties to Team Rocket in hand, Team Plasma had a glaring weakness.
And the Unova League fully intended to use it.
Not by striking them head-on.
But by finding a media outlet and blasting the story everywhere.
When that happened, the public would naturally ask: how can an organization preaching Pokémon liberation be working together with a group known for trafficking Pokémon?
That has to be a scam.
After that, it would all depend on whether Team Plasma chose to reveal its true face.
And if it did, then it would finally be time for the Unova League to step in.
For a moment, Shauntal really wanted to lift her chin and say, And that's when I made my move.
But considering the public persona she had to maintain, she ultimately held herself back.
She watched the three of them leave, then sent out Chandelure to haul Zinzolin along before boarding a flight to the Unova League.
Castelia City, downtown.
Even from the plane, the city's prosperity had been obvious from a distance.
But seeing it up close was an entirely different feeling.
Standing in the middle of this metropolis packed with towering high-rises, Grey found himself feeling strangely small.
That instinctive human fear of enormous things quietly began to surface.
"This place is really huge. It's even bigger than Veilstone City."
Caitlin tilted her head up, but still couldn't see the tops of the skyscrapers.
The gaps between buildings were so narrow they looked as if they might topple into one another at any moment.
Compared to Saffron City's more open skyline, the dense, crushing pressure here was almost suffocating.
Even the air seemed to carry the taste of steel and concrete.
So this was the heart of Unova?
So noisy, yet somehow... so lonely.
"Free, but not really free."
Walking the streets of Castelia City and watching people hurry past in a constant rush, Grey found himself with a new insight.
Then he turned to Sabrina and asked, "Sabrina, what do you think?"
Sabrina was quiet for a moment before answering, "It's a little different from what I imagined. They promote freedom here, but what I feel instead is... repression."
Was a bird in a cage free?
Yes, but only within the limits of the cage.
That metaphor fit Castelia City surprisingly well.
Aside from the wealthy, most of the people living here were busy white-collar workers.
Back and forth, rushing like they were on forced march.
"Let's get a room for tonight. Tomorrow we can go look around somewhere else."
Grey shrugged. He really hadn't expected Castelia City to feel this oppressive.
In fact, it felt even more oppressive than Saffron City.
You could say this first stop had hit him like a rude awakening.
"Mio!" (All three of you, stop focusing on the bad side! Once you put your luggage down, come with me. I'll take you somewhere great!)
Little Riolu suddenly popped its head out, hands on its hips, clearly eager to lead Grey and the others somewhere.
Grey raised an eyebrow and bent down. "Oh? And where exactly are you taking us?"
"Mio~" (Put your bags away first. I can feel my friend's aura. I'll take you to meet her afterward.)
"And who is this friend of yours?"
"Mio~" (Meloetta~)
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