Shiro knew the old League Chairman was complaining because he had called far too late.
After the Hunter A incident, he had been told to call, but he had completely forgotten about it. After all, Goodshow couldn't exactly be expected to personally chase people down over the phone. If the call didn't even connect, it would just waste his valuable time.
"I'm sorry, Chairman Goodshow. I heard you're the greatest Chairman in the League, so I've honestly been a little nervous. I just boarded the ship, and after hesitating for a long time, I finally gathered the courage to call."
"Hahaha..." Goodshow leaned back in his chair with satisfaction. He decided to let the matter go and got straight to the point. "Shiro, the Hunter A mission was classified as an S-Rank high-risk task."
"Based on the final outcome, the League is willing to pay out half of Hunter A's bounty. Since your contribution was the greatest, you'll receive three quarters of that amount. Around three billion Pokédollars have already been transferred to your Hoenn research lab account."
"You've also earned about 10,000 League contribution points."
"As for this Hunters Guild mission, those criminals didn't have much bounty on them, so I've converted all of it into League contribution points instead. You now have 27,000 contribution points in total."
"Of course, you've completed both missions exceptionally well, so I'll personally give you an additional reward."
Shiro first thanked Goodshow as usual and praised his wisdom before giving it some thought.
What did he actually need right now?
Pokédollars? To him, money was just a number now.
He hadn't established the new Hunters Guild for money. He wanted a major force that he could completely control.
As long as he had money, resources would never be a problem.
What he lacked most now was Pokémon. Not young Pokémon that still needed raising, but Gym-level or even Elite-level Pokémon that were already battle-ready. They could serve as the second team used under Hunter W's identity.
On the surface, he was the Galar Champion. People who knew him were already familiar with almost all of his Pokémon.
Only three had never been seen before: Rhyperior, Feebas, and Larvesta.
That also meant those were the only Pokémon Hunter W could currently use.
Rhyperior wasn't a problem. It had already been strong to begin with, and after this period of training, it had also reached Elite-level.
Feebas still needed more time before it could become a capable fighter. As for Larvesta, its long growth cycle meant it would take even longer.
What he urgently needed now was immediate combat strength for Hunter W's identity.
Ideally, he wanted access to a massive safari zone where he could capture powerful Pokémon, or perhaps locate large wild Pokémon colonies that ordinary people didn't know about.
But asking Goodshow for something like that… the Chairman would definitely keep a close eye on every move he made. Any Pokémon he obtained would almost certainly end up under the League's watch.
"I don't have anything in mind for now. If I need something later, you'll be the first person I ask," Shiro replied.
"Very well." Goodshow nodded slightly.
After exchanging a few more polite words, Shiro ended the call.
* * *
Back at the League Headquarters.
"Ha… Youth..."
Stroking his beard, Goodshow briefly recalled his younger days.
Only for about two minutes though. The stack of documents on his desk left him no time to waste.
Across the top of the first page, bold black letters read: Detailed Implementation Plan for the Team Rocket Suppression Operation.
"Team Rocket..." A faint sneer appeared on Goodshow's face.
The Kanto League Headquarters was mobilizing every available resource to wipe out the criminal organization that had troubled him for so long.
The first step was taking compulsory action against Team Rocket's businesses across every city. To achieve this, he had promoted members of the Jenny family into police departments throughout the region specifically to target Team Rocket.
The Jenny family was well known for raising Arcanine. Every one of them was a capable trainer and fully qualified to enforce the law.
Before they took over, local police officers only carried ordinary weapons. They didn't even dare look Team Rocket members in the eye. Team Rocket could openly beat police officers in broad daylight or even surround police stations without consequence.
Over time, many police departments had practically become useless. Their salaries weren't even enough to support a single Pokémon, yet they were expected to risk their lives.
Now, both the Jenny and Joy families had spread across every city in Kanto. They played a vital role in maintaining public order and standing against criminal organizations.
"The real problem is still inside the League itself," Goodshow muttered as he turned to the next page.
It was Lance's report regarding repeated information leaks before operations even began.
The Kanto Elite Four had to be replaced as soon as possible.
And those Gym Leaders who had occupied their cities for years… perhaps many of them had problems as well.
* * *
"I've worked my tail off for the League all these years, and now they're suppressing me? Investigating me?"
Outside the Vermilion Gym, Lt. Surge angrily stomped a document under his boot.
"Are they seriously suspecting I'm a Team Rocket spy?"
In many cities, the Gym Leader effectively held the authority of a mayor, possessing both administrative power and military strength. But after Goodshow reformed the city's police system, the authority to enforce the law had largely been transferred to Officer Jenny.
Lt. Surge was so furious he wanted to tear down the police station, then dump a pile of Electric-type Pokémon that only knew Thunderbolt into Officer Jenny's house.
There was no helping it. With this kind of supervision, how was he supposed to openly carry out Boss Giovanni's assignments?
Vermilion City was a major port. Cargo ships and passenger liners docked there every day. The Vermilion Gym also stood beside the sea. Traffic flowed endlessly along the road in front of it, yet no one dared stop and casually stare at the Gym Leader.
Anyone with a functioning brain knew this city belonged to Lt. Surge.
Whether it was cargo entering the harbor or cruise ships coming and going, everything required his approval.
Every year, Vermilion City contributed an enormous amount of tax revenue to Kanto.
Lt. Surge had short blond hair, a muscular frame that stretched his military green T-shirt tight, and an imposing build. He had once served as a major in the League Air Force before Giovanni discovered him and steadily promoted him to become Vermilion City's Gym Leader.
"Boss..." One of his subordinates spoke cautiously. "There's a phone call for you."
Lt. Surge was still glaring at the busy street while thinking about how to deal with Officer Jenny when his thoughts were interrupted. He frowned with obvious annoyance and looked at the subordinate.
"Boss, the phone. It's the one in your room," the man repeated.
Lt. Surge's expression changed instantly.
It was the Boss calling.
There was no time to scold his subordinate. He rushed into the room as fast as he could and picked up the receiver.
Buzz!
"Surge, how is the mission going?" A calm and steady voice came from the other end. It didn't seem bothered that the phone had been answered late.
"Yes, Boss." Lt. Surge lowered his voice. "Those Electric-type Pokémon have already been transported to the warehouse."
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