Whether Oleana was in a good mood or not—Luo Yuan couldn't have cared less.
He only cared about one thing: achieving his goal. So when he heard her question, he didn't bother with formalities and said bluntly:
"I have a few proposals regarding this exchange."
Oleana's brow twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She was curious to hear what Luo Yuan had to say.
"This exchange—both you and I know perfectly well what it's really about. As for your Macro Cosmos Group's ambitions to enter the Kanto market, the League I represent has no intention of opposing it."
Luo Yuan didn't even bother pretending the Galar League was involved. He cut straight to the point, naming Macro Cosmos as the true power behind the curtain.
A few of the Galar League officials beside Oleana looked like they wanted to argue, but after glancing at her—who remained silent and focused on what Luo Yuan would say next—they quietly closed their mouths.
That alone proved Luo Yuan was right.
"However, while the Kanto League may be willing to cooperate with you… Silph Co. hasn't agreed to let you into the market yet."
As he said this, Luo Yuan looked Oleana directly in the eyes.
Meeting Luo Yuan's unwavering gaze, Oleana couldn't help but take his words seriously.
Everyone knew that Luo Yuan was Silph Co.'s spokesperson—his partnership with them had become public knowledge ever since his battle with Steven in Hoenn.
From Oleana's perspective, Luo Yuan was speaking on behalf of Silph Co.
And Silph Co.… While it hadn't monopolized Kanto to the same degree that Macro Cosmos dominated Galar, it was entrenched in nearly every aspect of life for Kanto's citizens.
If Macro Cosmos wanted to enter Kanto, they couldn't go around Silph Co. It was a gate they had to pass through.
"What are you saying? That Silph Co. intends to defy the League Council's decision?" Oleana asked coldly.
No matter what Luo Yuan was aiming for, she was going to throw a big accusation first and see how he reacted.
After all, crushing Team Rocket was considered the politically correct stance within the League right now. If Silph Co. dared to stand in the way, they'd be in deep trouble.
But Luo Yuan only smiled calmly, without the slightest trace of anxiety.
"Of course not. In fact, I can represent Silph Co. in expressing tacit approval of Macro Cosmos entering the Kanto market. However, we do need some assurances—Silph's interests must be protected."
"What are your terms?" Oleana asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
She was convinced she now understood his aim—he was just trying to negotiate a better deal.
"Relax, we're not here to take advantage of anyone," Luo Yuan said, that familiar smile never leaving his face. "We're only looking for an equal partnership."
"Our condition is simple: open Galar's telecom market and allow Silph Co.'s subsidiaries to enter."
Protecting Silph's interests was just a smokescreen. As long as Team Rocket controlled Kanto, Silph's interests were already covered.
What Luo Yuan really wanted… was Galar's communications market.
"That's it?" The bureaucrats from the Galar League looked surprised. They had assumed Luo Yuan would make outrageous demands, but this?
Compared to them, Oleana immediately grew alert.
Even though she operated within Galar, she was well aware of the global popularity of Silph's flagship product—the holographic communicator.
Originally launched only in Kalos and Kanto, it had exploded in popularity after Luo Yuan's decisive victory over Steven and the Devon Corporation in Hoenn. That victory had also led to a partnership between Silph and Alola's Aether Foundation.
Backed by ample funding, Silph rapidly expanded. Now their product was available worldwide.
During the recent "Mt. Coronet Incident" in Sinnoh, the communicator's real-time message relay capabilities had firmly cemented Silph's dominance in the communications sector.
At present, only Macro Cosmos—protected by Galar's localist policies—had managed to keep Silph out.
But if Galar's telecom sector were to open up…
Oleana knew better than anyone how underwhelming Macro Cosmos's tech was in this field. The moment Silph stepped in, they'd be steamrolled.
The Galar delegation fell into hushed discussions.
But Oleana, the only one with the authority to make a final decision, remained silent.
...
Ten minutes passed.
Luo Yuan's expression shifted from hopeful to "disappointed."
He let out a sigh and said with deliberate frustration, "So even a condition this basic can't be agreed upon? I'm starting to question whether the Galar League truly values this cooperation."
Several Galar League officials were already wavering—ready to accept.
But when they saw the dark expression on Oleana's face, they backed down once again.
This wasn't their call to make.
Eventually, Oleana fixed Luo Yuan with a long, penetrating stare and said, "I'll need to discuss this with Chairman Rose before giving you an answer."
"I hope the outcome is a favorable one," Luo Yuan replied, his voice tinged with regret—only to seamlessly switch gears a moment later. "Now then, let's move on and discuss the actual contents of this exchange program."
Watching Luo Yuan's expression shift so naturally, Oleana almost doubted her own sanity.
Did that really just happen? How can anyone switch faces that quickly…?
She had always thought herself worldly and experienced, but today she realized she might've been too sheltered after all.
Luo Yuan didn't press further. Seeing that Oleana remained silent, he simply continued, "I participated in the last exchange program with Alola, so I've got some experience in this."
"Typically, these exchanges focus on three areas: academic cooperation, economic collaboration, and Pokémon battles."
"As for the economic part—since we have differing positions, I'll wait to hear Chairman Rose's stance. But I believe we can start with the other two: academic and battle-based exchanges."
"Academic and Pokémon battles?" Oleana raised an eyebrow but didn't object.
From her perspective, these two areas wouldn't interfere with either Rose's goals or Macro Cosmos's plans.
What she didn't know, however, was that every step of hers had already been anticipated by Luo Yuan.
For him, the earlier "telecom market" proposal had just been a diversion—a decoy meant to pull her and Rose's attention away.
His true objective lay in these last two.
With his goal in sight, Luo Yuan smiled. "Then let's begin with the Pokémon battles, shall we?"