Ruiyan pulled out a Poké Ball and recalled Cacturne.
Cynthia and Diantha made no move to stop him; they were simply curious if Ruiyan was here to keep an eye on either Cynthia or Diantha.
When Flygon suddenly appeared behind Ruiyan, and he mounted it, even with two Champions present, neither of them reacted quickly enough.
Leaving without a word? Especially in front of two Champions, this wasn't just an embarrassment; it was downright disrespectful.
Diantha, mindful of the International Police's reputation, restrained herself and did not act immediately.
Cynthia remained dazed.
The first to react were Garchomp and Gardevoir.
Garchomp, still fuming from being ambushed and knocked away by the Flygon, saw Ruiyan trying to leave without his trainer's permission. He shot up into the air, taking the chance to strike Flygon with a Brick Break on its uninjured wing as it began to ascend.
Gardevoir, noticing Garchomp's agitation, had no choice but to use Psychic to cushion Flygon and Ruiyan's fall.
Ruiyan rolled off Flygon, landing on his back, unmoving.
After calming Garchomp, Cynthia glanced at the scattered clothes and strange gelatinous objects on the ground. Ruiyan, lying there, looked like he'd shrunk several sizes.
"Ruiyan's disguise and tracking skills are pretty impressive," Diantha said, picking up the specially designed coat supported by a metal frame, her tone filled with admiration. "I heard he made all of these shaping tools himself."
"Is this gel part of the disguise too?" Cynthia, ignoring the still-motionless Ruiyan, picked up a blob of gel and squeezed it. It felt oddly similar to Ditto.
Cynthia finally got a good look at Ruiyan's true appearance, and it did not match his codename at all. He was a very handsome, almost cute young man, not very old, and his appearance was surprisingly misleading at first glance.
"Surprised? I had the same reaction when I first saw him," Diantha said, clearly pleased by the surprise in Cynthia's eyes. She had been shocked for a long time when she first saw Ruiyan's true face. "Makeup is an art. I've been in the entertainment industry long enough to know a good makeup artist when I see one. This is quite the skill."
"When I first met Ruiyan, he was in a full Lolita dress for anonymity. His voice could fool anyone, and his posture and movements were completely feminine. If he didn't speak, you would never guess he was a boy."
"The International Police really have some impressive talent," Cynthia said with a sigh, genuinely impressed.
"You weren't injured; I saw Gardevoir catch you," Cynthia continued, addressing Ruiyan. "You just lost some gear, but you can still recover it. No need to stay down like that."
"Master of disguises," Cynthia added, "explain why you're monitoring us, or more specifically, why you're keeping an eye on either me or Diantha."
After a brief pause, Cynthia added with a warning, "Don't even think about running. If you try, I'll have Roserade tie you up and hang you from a tree."
As soon as Cynthia finished speaking, she noticed tears streaming down Ruiyan's face.
This completely shattered Cynthia and Diantha's understanding. Logically, anyone who made it into the International Police should have a strong mental fortitude, at least enough not to collapse so easily.
Both Cynthia and Diantha were at a loss; they'd never imagined they could make an elite officer from the International Police cry.
Had something sad triggered this reaction? What could it be... Could it be related to his cross-dressing?
It was indeed something deeply sad.
Ruiyan was from Hoenn and had studied in the Kanto and Johto regions. He was one of the rare few who became a Pokémon Trainer through the formal school system. Originally, his path was set on academia, and he had planned to pursue research after completing his studies at university.
However, sometimes a person's passion can lead them to make decisions that, in hindsight, leave them confused and wondering how it all happened.
Ruiyan abandoned academia and sent a self-recommendation letter to the International Police. His application was accepted, and on his first day, he was assigned to the Black Hole Squad.
According to the internal reports of the International Police, being selected for the Black Hole Squad (Different from Team Black Hole), the division dedicated to combating severe criminal activity, meant that the person had a past. A past that could not be questioned, at least not easily.
Ruiyan had heard about one of the reasons a member of the Black Hole Squad joined the International Police and quickly realized that this team was all about life-and-death struggles with criminals. Mercy had no place in their work.
Ruiyan's reason for joining the Black Hole Squad was simple: the entire team was reckless and needed someone to bring balance. As someone with a background in academics, Ruiyan had mastered skills in tracking, counter-surveillance, and disguise techniques. These talents made him ideal for infiltration and undercover work.
Thus, the once bookish Ruiyan was assigned to the deserts of Unova, where reports had surfaced about an organization attempting to incite riots and liberate Pokémon.
However, those were just rumors that needed to be verified.
As a master of disguise, Ruiyan became a familiar figure in Unova. Since he had uncovered some information about the organization three years ago, he had been operating in the desert region for a long time.
Ruiyan wasn't particularly known for his strong will; his decision to join the International Police had been driven by a burst of passion. Yet, the power that came from someone trying to appear stronger than they were could be quite formidable. Through his determination, Ruiyan managed to uncover valuable information in the desert.
Just when he was preparing to delve deeper into the investigation, he received an order from headquarters: he was to be reassigned to Sinnoh for a new mission.
Ruiyan was furious. He had worked so hard to gather information about the situation in Unova, and he couldn't afford to leave now. If he did, all his efforts would be wasted. Disregarding confidentiality protocols, he bypassed his recently retired superior and handed over his findings to his former boss.
As expected, the documents were intercepted by his new superior, and Ruiyan was promptly reassigned to Sinnoh.
His new superior, the second-in-command of the International Police's Safety Department, had spent years improving the organization's internal security and reducing leaks. Ruiyan respected her methods, but this time, he could only watch in frustration as his hard-earned documents were placed into a file for safekeeping.
Three years, three long years, several members of the International Police had endured grueling conditions in Unova, all in order to prevent a terrifying possibility.
"Pokémon liberation" was a phrase too sensitive to be dismissed lightly. A coup within a regional Pokémon League would eventually calm down, but Pokémon liberation could spiral out of control, threatening the entire world with chaos.
Soon, Ruiyan learned more. The Safety Department had indeed made the International Police stronger and more secure over the years, but it had also made most of its members uncomfortable.
The Black Hole Squad, the most powerful group for tackling serious crime within the International Police, should not be subject to the authority of the Safety Department. However, with Ruiyan's former superior's retirement, the Safety Department had a reason to reorganize the Black Hole Squad.
Then, Cyrus was suspected of being an insider and ordered to retire while awaiting investigation. In a fit of rage, Cyrus ambushed the Safety Department's base, providing the final evidence Ruiyan's superior needed to confirm that Cyrus was indeed an insider.
Ruiyan had no interest in the internal politics of the organization or the upper echelons' pursuit of spies and traitors. His job was to carry out missions and gather criminal intelligence, whether or not Cyrus had been misunderstood didn't matter. Time would tell.
But Ruiyan felt disheartened. When he received the task list for the Sinnoh Region, his pride was shattered.
A Pokémon Trainer who had only debuted a month ago was assigned to conduct full surveillance, simply because he had crossed paths with Cyrus once.
No one else was willing to take on such a degrading task, so Ruiyan, seen as an easy target, was pulled by his superior to handle it.
Ruiyan told himself it was just work, not bullying, but he couldn't shake off that mental barrier. His covert operations were filled with mistakes, and when Luther spotted him and he reacted by injuring Luther, Ruiyan began to question his own actions.
Luther had taken a difficult, shaded path rather than the main road, where the ground was covered with dry branches and leaves, making it impossible to conceal his footsteps. Ruiyan had no choice but to rely on his Pokémon's senses and follow from a distance.
He didn't know what Luther and Mai were talking about when they suddenly stopped, but he was soon noticed by Cynthia and Diantha from the other side.
At this point, everything had spiraled out of control. The International Police insisted on investigating a passerby with no real suspicions against him, and probing into his privacy was already a significant violation. Now, being mistaken for monitoring Cynthia and Diantha was disastrous.
Spying on a regional Champion was a direct insult to the Pokémon League, implying that their Champion was under suspicion or that their privacy was being invaded.
One Champion was already bad enough, but now there were two.
Ruiyan broke down in tears. He was genuinely upset. He had never felt so helpless in his life, this was unbearable. He longed to return to Unova and keep eating sand; he didn't want to be involved in such a humiliating task.
"Don't you want to say something? An explanation would help," Diantha sighed, sensing Ruiyan's frustration.
"What can I do?!" Ruiyan cried out in desperation.
How could he explain that he was helping someone from the Safety Department monitor a passerby with no real suspicions? Ruiyan felt trapped.
No matter what excuse he gave, it would be wrong. He had no choice but to remain silent.
Ruiyan's sobbing made Cynthia sigh deeply.
"Just go. I'll have the Sinnoh Pokémon League contact the International Police. I want to know exactly what's going on with your superior."
"Although Yew's been unwell as the head of the Safety Department and has delegated power to Oleander, I don't like her methods. The Kalos Pokémon League will also ask Yew whether she intends to investigate my privacy," Cynthia added, her tone firm.
Wiping his tears, Ruiyan let out a long, exhausted sigh, as if all his energy had been drained. He slowly got to his feet. "I'll resign when I get back. I want to return to Rainbow University."
At this point, Ruiyan understood that he would be held accountable by the Safety Department, but he no longer cared.
It was only now that Ruiyan truly grasped the meaning of Cyrus's words.
"Passion cools easily, but hatred endures."
Watching Ruiyan walk away, Diantha felt a lump in her throat.
"Someone should put a stop to Oleander's overreach. It's fine to guard against fire, theft, and family thieves, but turning it into this is like palace intrigue," Cynthia said, her words tinged with frustration.
Ruiyan's once fiery spirit had been completely extinguished by a bucket of cold water. Seeing him drained of energy and suddenly despondent, Cynthia decided to step in.
"I'll help you. Let's work together, surely, the International Police will quiet down this time."
(End of Chapter)
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