"I propose we ally with the 'Galaxy Team.'
Sinnoh Region.
A meeting room in some unknown corner.
Around a large round table, six people with different postures and heights were seated.
Some crossed their arms against the chair back, looking serious.
Some sat slouching in the chair with one hand draped over the chair back, their hooked nose especially prominent.
Some, with white hair and a white beard, rested their head on a cane.
Some ate in large mouthfuls, smacking their lips.
And some even propped their feet on the table with a disdainful expression.
The speaker was a woman dressed in a black men's suit, wearing a small derby hat, hands on the table, the only one sitting upright with a smile across her face.
If Natsuhiko were here, he would surely recognize the woman speaking was the one who had once toyed with him in Goldenrod City, formerly an Elite Four Reserve of the Kanto Alliance, now a top-five fugitive wanted by the alliance, an Electric-type Pokémon specialist, Tom Rokicki!
At the same time, outside this big round table, there was a circle of chairs.
Forming exactly two inner and outer circles.
Counting carefully, you could see there were a total of twenty chairs.
Some were occupied, while others were empty.
And this huge meeting room was hosting an internal meeting of the Hunter Guild.
Including Tom Rokicki, the six people represented the highest interests of the Hunter Guild, while the outer twenty chairs symbolized the remaining twenty high-ranking members of the Hunter Guild.
After Tom Rokicki spoke with a smile, the entire meeting room fell into complete silence.
Even the highest seat member who was eating stopped his actions.
"As someone who just joined the highest seat, what right do you have to speak?"
The person who spoke was the man with his feet on the table, deep-set eyes, and a face full of disdain.
His words gained some agreement.
"Our Hunter Guild has always maintained neutrality, staying away from all factions. You're disrupting the balance."
This time, the speaker was the serious man with arms crossed.
"As an elder, I also don't recommend breaking rules."
The old man resting his head on the cane also expressed agreement.
Tom Rokicki did not comment on their words, with a continuous smile, she looked at the other two.
"Rules or teaming up, either way; I'm so sleepy. Are you done talking? If you're finished, I'd like to go back and sleep."
The lazy man with an aquiline nose yawned long, looking weary.
"Join forces? I think it's a good idea. Anyway, always bored, stepping out of the comfort zone isn't bad, hmm..."
The woman eating food pressed her delicate and long fingers against her lips, showing interest.
These top six seats were in discussion, while the neighboring twenty seats did not have the right to interrupt.
But from the current situation, it seemed that Tom Rokicki had not gained high authority in the Hunter Guild yet.
"Hehe—If that's the case, shall we temporarily set this aside?"
Tom Rokicki's smile didn't change, her emotion remained unaffected by others' words.
However, if someone stared carefully into her eyes, they could definitely see the deeply suppressed killing intent in her eyes.
...
...
"You called me over just for this trivial matter?"
Agatha leaned on her cane, glaring at Natsuhiko.
Her rarely bragged-about student had summoned her from the Kanto Region for a dojo opening, now Agatha just wanted to hit him with her cane and see what was inside his head.
Oh, she had forgotten she didn't have many friends.
But it didn't stop Agatha from having such thoughts.
"You didn't even ask what the matter was..." Natsuhiko mumbled in a low voice.
"Hmm?" Agatha glanced sideways with a sinister look.
Natsuhiko immediately showed a sheepish smile.
Although he was Agatha's student, he was still quite apprehensive of his cheap teacher.
No way around it, Agatha was temperamental, quite old yet had such a good memory, especially towards those who once "betrayed" her.
"Ahem, teacher, it's not entirely for this reason, there are also some tasks-related matters."
Natsuhiko quickly calmed Agatha's restless heart.
"Speak!" Agatha grunted and glared at him again.
"Teacher, the trouble with my identity is resolved, but I need helpers, don't your investigation department have any helpers for me?"
Agatha required Natsuhiko to infiltrate the Hunter Guild as a spy for the alliance. His request was to use the identity provided, which Agatha had almost completely perfected for him recently; the identity's confidentiality level raised to the highest.
But Natsuhiko thought, asking him to infiltrate the Hunter Guild alone, and requiring him to secure one of the twenty-six seats within months, shouldn't there be some help?
Agatha looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"If I could provide help for you, why wouldn't I just let that person do it?"
Natsuhiko blinked.
The reasoning was clear.
After all, if Agatha arranged help like Lance for him, sometimes it might just make things worse due to excessive righteousness.
To deal with villains, you need to bring a villain.
He had long prepared to infiltrate alone.
Then why say it?
Isn't it just an excuse to "trick" Agatha to come?
A dojo opening with an Elite Four appearance for support, wouldn't that be impressive?