Suddenly blinded, Cyllene felt momentarily unsettled.
But upon hearing Irida mention a "little surprise," she reluctantly stayed put, resisting the urge to pull away.
Still…
She remained skeptical about Irida's earlier claims.
After all, there were only a handful of notable trainers left in Hisui, mostly scattered among various wardens.
Not only was the Galaxy Expedition Team short on powerful trainers, the Pearl and Diamond Clans similarly lacked anyone exceptional at the moment.
She seriously doubted Irida could suddenly conjure up a trainer capable of replacing Akari.
"Five…"
"Four…"
"Three…"
While lost in thought, Cyllene realized Irida had already begun counting down.
Seeing this, she quietly resigned herself, waiting patiently for the countdown to finish.
"Zero…"
As Irida's voice faded, the hands covering her eyes gently withdrew.
As her vision refocused, a small, pink feline face filled Cyllene's entire field of view, so close it occupied all her attention.
Its wide, curious blue eyes stared directly into hers.
"Mew~"
Cyllene: …?
So, this was Irida's… 'little surprise'?
She felt slightly cheated; no matter how she looked at it, this cute little face didn't exactly scream "strong."
"Mew, don't cause trouble," Elias's gentle voice sounded nearby. Reaching out with both hands, he carefully lifted Mew away from Cyllene's face.
"Mew!" protested the pink Pokémon, squirming discontentedly.
With her view now unobstructed, Cyllene's mind momentarily froze in overload.
That familiar voice… that familiar face…
And beside him stood Zoroark and Lucario, along with Cynthia quietly observing nearby.
For a fleeting instant, Cyllene genuinely felt as if she'd traveled back in time.
Her normally stoic face was overtaken by a rare look of astonishment.
Moments later...
Cyllene sat heavily in her chair, her legs feeling oddly weak beneath her.
Even now, she struggled to believe what she was seeing.
Although Irida and… Elias had briefly explained what happened, something as absurd as a person returning from the dead wasn't easily accepted with just a few sentences.
Undoubtedly, Irida had prepared more than just a surprise—she'd delivered a shock.
"Elias…welcome back," Cyllene finally spoke, inhaling deeply to steady herself.
Though she hid it carefully, a barely perceptible note of relief mingled in her tone.
Whatever else remained uncertain, at least one thing was clear now—
Elias was back, and she could finally breathe easy.
Ever since his disappearance, she'd endured nothing but endless headaches.
Managing every little affair, strategizing the village's future development, and even repeatedly vetting her high-ranking subordinates to prevent Kamado's lingering supporters from resurfacing.
Opposite her, Elias grew a bit sheepish after hearing about Cyllene's current troubles.
Back then, he really had overlooked the Galaxy Team's struggles. If only he'd left something like a detailed letter before vanishing…
"I heard you have a strategy meeting soon?" Elias asked, steering back toward more practical matters.
Cyllene's eyes lit up immediately, no longer bothering to hide her excitement as she nodded quickly.
Finally, she'd found the perfect solution.
With Elias around, not only would that unknown Pokémon be driven away easily, Akari wouldn't have to take unnecessary risks.
Most importantly…
Even Akari herself wouldn't have grounds to object.
Glancing briefly at the clock, Cyllene spoke again:
"It's nearly time… Elias, will you join us?"
Elias's presence alone would serve as a potent warning to any restless elements within the Galaxy Team.
"Let's go," Elias replied warmly, giving Cyllene an encouraging wave.
Shortly thereafter, Cyllene and Irida entered the conference room together, just as planned.
Immediately, several sets of eyes turned to greet them.
"Cyllene-san, Irida-san!"
Not far away, Akari waved enthusiastically at them in greeting. Yet, the tightly clenched fists at her sides revealed her firm resolve regarding today's meeting.
"We encountered something unexpected, sorry for the delay," Cyllene said plainly as she took her seat.
The others nodded understandingly, offering no objections.
However, Akari beside her was visibly restless, already eager to speak.
"Cyllene-san, I want to handle driving away that Pokémon," Akari declared earnestly, her gaze filled with determination.
She knew very well that Cyllene's hesitation was purely out of concern for her safety.
Yet…
She couldn't keep hiding forever.
She had even planned to enter the Distortion World herself one day, find Zoroark, and together avenge Elias.
With a goal like that driving her forward, retreating now wasn't an option.
Today, she was absolutely determined to persuade Cyllene!
Besides, Akari was confident in her own strength.
Apart from Zoroark, she believed even Elias's Lucario from back then wouldn't stand a chance against her current team.
Seeing Akari's persistent stance, Cyllene sighed inwardly.
Just as expected…
Fortunately, she no longer needed to worry about this matter.
"I agree—we should drive away that Pokémon," Cyllene stated calmly, glancing around the room before returning her gaze to Akari.
Hearing those words, Akari's eyes lit up brightly, her lips instinctively curling upward.
But before she could fully rejoice, Cyllene continued:
"However, Akari, it won't be you. I've already asked someone else."
Her voice was quiet, firm.
A brief silence blanketed the room, followed by an immediate uproar of whispers and murmurs.
"Captain… isn't it risky to send someone else?" someone ventured cautiously.
After all, neglecting their strongest trainer and sending someone weaker could stir resentment among the ranks.
Not only the other members in the meeting felt puzzled—Akari herself couldn't help feeling slightly offended.
"Cyllene-san, I'm the strongest trainer here, aren't I?" Akari challenged directly, deliberately removing a Poké Ball from her belt and setting it firmly on the table.
Her meaning was clear enough:
If she couldn't handle it, nobody else stood a chance.
Akari believed Cyllene had run out of excuses this time.