After Irida's explanation, Elias finally understood the general situation.
To put it simply, an unidentified, powerful Pokémon had appeared near Jubilife Village.
Although it hadn't yet directly harmed the village itself, patrol guards and traveling Ginkgo Guild merchants had been frequently attacked.
Now, some members of the Galaxy Expedition Team insisted on driving it away by force, while others worried that provoking it might only increase casualties if it turned out unbeatable.
"If there's danger lurking near the village, it should be dealt with immediately," Irida commented firmly. "The reason there's any disagreement at all is that the Galaxy Team's overall strength has diminished, and Cyllene's grip on the team has weakened."
Hearing this, Elias nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
"So… Captain Cyllene wants to drive it away immediately?" Elias guessed.
Knowing Cyllene's decisive and resolute personality, Elias assumed she'd prefer action, even if the Pokémon was difficult to handle.
However…
Surprisingly, Irida shook her head at his guess.
"It's just the opposite, actually. Of everyone in the Galaxy Team, Cyllene is the one most firmly against provoking that Pokémon. She invited me to help calm down the others," Irida sighed helplessly.
Elias felt a little confused by this, several question marks popping up in his mind.
This was quite different from what he'd expected.
"Elias, would you like to come along?" Irida glanced up at the sky, issuing her invitation. "I'll explain more on the way."
In truth, she was no longer worried about the issue. With Elias here, driving away one troublesome Pokémon would be effortless.
No matter how strong it is, could it possibly be stronger than Giratina?
"Alright, let's go take a look." Elias nodded after brief consideration.
Staying at the Pearl Clan settlement wasn't necessary, and he was interested in meeting Cyllene again.
Besides, he'd heard that Akari had joined the Galaxy Team. Elias and Cynthia had left so abruptly before; he was curious to see how the young girl was doing now.
...
Meanwhile, at the Galaxy Expedition Team.
Inside the commander's office, Cyllene stared wearily at the stack of letters spread across her desk, rubbing her temples in frustration.
These were all urging her to quickly decide whether to drive away the Pokémon lurking near the village.
Having served as captain for so long, Cyllene had long mastered the art of "playing dumb." Most of the letters she could simply ignore as scrap paper.
But one letter among them forced her attention.
"Akari…" Cyllene murmured, lifting a neatly folded letter and sighing quietly.
This wasn't the first time Akari had urged her.
The request was simple: dispatch someone to handle that Pokémon.
Ever since experiencing that incident years ago, Akari—once Elias's little companion—had become extraordinarily sensitive about dangerous Pokémon.
Even before this incident, she'd regularly inspected Pokémon around the village, adamantly keeping anything potentially threatening at bay.
And this time was no different.
That unknown Pokémon had barely appeared for a few days when Akari started clamoring to battle it herself.
But the reason Cyllene hesitated to dispatch anyone was precisely this.
Akari was currently the Galaxy Team's strongest trainer.
Given the Pokémon's obvious strength, Akari would undoubtedly be the first to fight.
Yet…
For Cyllene, Akari was entrusted to her care by Elias. After everything he'd done for her, she had a duty to protect the girl.
In Cyllene's ideal scenario, Akari would live a peaceful life. Just allowing her to join the Galaxy Team was already pushing the limit. Sending her out on dangerous missions weighed heavily on Cyllene's conscience.
But if she refused Akari, she risked dissent, and currently, no other trainer in the team could shoulder the responsibility.
"If only there were a solution that satisfied everyone…" Cyllene sighed again unconsciously, silently wishing.
When Elias was still here, no situation had seemed insurmountable. With his strength, practically nothing had been beyond solving.
But after his departure, she'd realized even seemingly trivial issues could overwhelm the Galaxy Team entirely.
"Cyllene-san?"
Just as she struggled with her headache, a clear voice echoed from the doorway.
Turning her head, she saw Irida had arrived unnoticed, peeking curiously around the door frame.
"Irida? You're here already?" Cyllene slowly stood, a bit surprised.
"I left early," Irida answered lightly, clearing her throat and stepping into the room.
In truth, the credit belonged entirely to Elias's Salamence. They'd traveled from the Frozen Tundra to Jubilife Village in no time at all.
"Your timing is perfect. There's another meeting scheduled soon," Cyllene said, handing her the letter helplessly. "Help me persuade Akari later."
She believed Irida might have a way to change Akari's mind.
But to her surprise, Irida simply took the letter and immediately tossed it aside without even glancing at its contents.
"I think that if there's a dangerous Pokémon near the village, driving it away is the correct choice. There's no reason to stop Akari," Irida said casually, shrugging at Cyllene's stunned expression.
Cyllene frowned deeply.
"Don't joke around. You know exactly why I won't allow her to go. We have no idea about that Pokémon's strength or nature—it's too dangerous to send Akari," Cyllene snapped, feeling irritation rise at Irida's nonchalant attitude.
Suddenly, she wondered if inviting Irida was a mistake.
Moreover…
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Irida today seemed less mature than usual—more like she'd been before becoming clan leader.
"Relax, relax," Irida waved dismissively. "Dangerous Pokémon really should be chased off—but we don't have to send Akari. Actually, I've brought you a surprise."
With swift movements, Irida slipped behind Cyllene, placing her palms gently over the captain's eyes.
"I'll count to five—no peeking."
---
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