"Pokémon School?"
Maki had some impression of the Pokémon School that Lilie attended. The principal was Professor Oak's cousin in the Alola region, a researcher specializing in regional forms. Because he bore an uncanny resemblance to Professor Oak, he was often jokingly referred to as the "Alolan Form of Professor Oak."
"Yeah! I have lots of good friends there too!"
As she spoke, Lilie's excitement became more evident.
"But I still have to stay at Aether Paradise to assist President Lusamine with her research, right?" Maki pondered for a moment before speaking.
To be honest, he was quite interested in visiting the Pokémon School—not just because of the "Alolan Form of Professor Oak," but also because the school had many outstanding students.
For example, Kiawe and Lana would eventually become Island Captains, which was equivalent to Gym Leaders in other regions. However, Alola's Captains held even more prestige, as there were far fewer of them compared to Gym Leaders, who were present in almost every city.
Moreover, Pokémon School was located on Melemele Island in the northwestern part of Alola. It would be a shame to visit Alola without setting foot on all four islands.
"It's fine! I already spoke to my mother, and she said there's nothing urgent that requires your assistance right now. Taking some time to explore is totally okay!" Lilie said with a bright smile.
"So you planned this all along, huh~" Maki chuckled helplessly.
"Because… because it's really fun! And I can introduce you to Lana and Mallow too!" Lilie blushed slightly as she protested.
"But I'm not a student of the Pokémon School. Wouldn't it be a problem if I just showed up there?"
"No problem at all! The Aether Foundation has always had a partnership with the Pokémon School!"
"…Is this what they call 'bringing funds into the group'?"
"Well, I guess I'll go check it out then. Besides, there are some things that wouldn't be convenient to do at Aether Paradise." Maki considered before agreeing.
His main reason was that he wanted to practice using Z-Moves. Although Aether Paradise was located on an artificial island, it wasn't designed for battles, and there were hardly any proper battle facilities.
If he tried to practice Z-Moves in the conservation area, he'd probably get swarmed by staff members and thrown into the ocean within minutes.
And… he was also curious about the strength of Alola's future Captains. They couldn't be too weak, right?
Lilie had no idea what was going through Maki's mind. If she did, she would definitely be exasperated. Here she was, excited to introduce her friends, while this guy was already thinking about battles.
"Besides, I'll probably be leaving Alola soon. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around before I go."
"Huh? Maki, you're going back to Kanto?" Lilie looked surprised.
"Yeah. Coming to Alola was unexpected, and there are still things I need to take care of in Kanto. I'll probably stay here for another half a month or so." Maki estimated.
The main issue was that he hadn't been able to contact Giovanni lately. Meanwhile, things in Alola still required oversight, but since no one from Kanto had come over to help, Maki had to stay.
However, he couldn't just wait indefinitely. If Giovanni remained unreachable, Maki would have no choice but to return.
"Oh…" Lilie seemed a little disappointed—after all, she had just made a new friend.
But she quickly perked up again.
"Then before you leave, let me take you on a tour of Melemele Island! I promise it'll be an unforgettable experience!"
...
After finishing his training and returning to his room, Maki's communication device rang.
Instinctively, he assumed it was Sabrina. Ever since she learned he was in Alola, she had been video calling him almost daily—supposedly to check on his situation, though what she was actually thinking was a mystery.
But when Maki picked up the device, he was momentarily stunned. It wasn't Sabrina—it was Giovanni!
Recovering from his surprise, Maki immediately accepted the call. It was a video call, and he had no reason to hesitate.
"Maki?"
The familiar office setting appeared on the screen, but Giovanni's voice carried an uncharacteristic hint of fatigue.
"Yes, I'm in Alola right now. Dad, where have you been these past few days?"
Maki frowned. Although Giovanni had returned, something clearly had happened.
"Nothing major. I just took a trip through the spatial rift in Mt. Moon… saw a lot of Pokémon I've never encountered before. The people over there call their world… Ultra Megalopolis."
Maki fell silent. Giovanni had disappeared for only a short while, and he had already stormed into Ultra Megalopolis? And judging by his expression, he seemed exhausted but otherwise unharmed.
"Ultra Megalopolis?"
"Yeah. It's an incredibly technologically advanced world, but their Pokémon battle skills are, frankly, pathetic," Giovanni remarked.
"Well, as long as you're safe." Maki let out a small sigh of relief. He had figured Giovanni would be fine, but there was always a sliver of concern. Now that he was back, it was a good thing.
"Where's Dragonite?" Maki suddenly remembered. The last time they were in the Ultra Wormhole, Dragonite had been separated from them.
"That idiot flew back before you did. Much more reliable than you." Giovanni stated bluntly.
Maki's mouth twitched. What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't fly! And even if he could, Alola was so far away from Kanto that he'd probably collapse from exhaustion before he got there!
"Sabrina has already updated me on your situation. Good job. I'll be sending reinforcements to Alola soon, but for now, Kanto is short on manpower, so you'll need to stay there a bit longer."
Maki nodded. That wasn't a big problem. However…
"How much longer are we talking about?"
"Hmm… about a month or so."
Great. That was even longer than Maki had estimated.
"And my undercover status…?" Maki asked cautiously. He was still technically a League informant.
"If we take over Alola, why would we care about the League?"
…Fair point. Whatever you say, boss.
"Besides, staying in Alola won't interfere with your mission too much. The League has its own operatives there—you should try making contact."
"You mean…"
"Samson Oak, Professor Oak's cousin in Kanto. While he isn't as renowned as Professor Samuel Oak in research, he's still a key figure in linking the League with Alola."
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