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Cynthia dismissed the matter, allowing Garchomp and Gastrodon to forage for food on their own. She casually plucked a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table and ate it.
"Are you afraid of being roasted on a spit?" Cynthia asked with a faint smile on her face. "At Gardelia Villa, not only did you challenge me in front of so many people, but you also declared that you would defeat me. Hmph..."
Ash looked at Etorre with admiration. "Wow, Etorre, you had such an impressive past! What was the result of the battle?"
"I lost," Etorre said nonchalantly.
"Don't worry," Cynthia said, turning to Ash. "If you win this tournament, you'll have your chance for an official challenge. I'm particularly looking forward to your match against Paul."
Upon hearing Paul's name, Ash replied earnestly, "This time, I won't lose."
Satisfied with Ash's response, Cynthia finally turned to Luther.
"Gentlemen, allow me a few minutes alone with Luther."
Ash and Etorre exchanged glances, rose from their seats, and carried their plates away. Cynthia glanced at her phone: 6:20 p.m. Lily of the Valley Island was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.
"An hour ago, Oleander's position as Deputy Minister of the Department of Safety was revoked," She announced.
Luther's hand, which was holding chopsticks, trembled slightly.
"Oleander has been missing for three months. No one can reach her, and no one knows where she's gone."
Cynthia took a sip of the fruit juice the waiter had brought her and watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon. She sighed.
"Originally, she was required to fulfill her internal commitments two months before the Lily of the Valley Conference. But because of her disappearance, the International Police kept pushing back the deadline. Now, Dr. Zishan has run out of patience."
"Has no one tried to find Oleander?" Luther asked.
Cynthia smiled. "The Deputy Minister of Safety disappearing? Do you think the International Police wouldn't be anxious?"
"They've tried every imaginable method to find Oleander, but all efforts have been fruitless. No one knows where she is, or if she's even alive."
Luther paused, then said, "I suspect the Hodgepodge Organization is involved. When she obtained that document, she said it was of critical importance. What exactly was in that document that made her so unwilling to tell us?"
"No one knows. Oleander acted perfectly normal during that time. Diantha recalls that she was exactly the same as when they first met, lively and driven."
Cynthia glanced at Ash and Etorre, who were chewing on their spoons and watching them from a distance. She smiled.
"Let's leave it at that for now. As for the Lily of the Valley Conference, strive for victory. Your lazy dream needs a starting point, and winning the conference would be a great place to begin."
Luther chuckled. "You're saying that to all three of us, don't you? You're just hoping we'll fight even harder, aren't you?"
Seeing Cynthia get up, Gastrodon, who was still munching on a cupcake, scurried over.
"You guessed it. I want all of you to make it to the top eight and then battle six-on-six. The more thrilling, the better." Cynthia flashed a mischievous grin.
"I have business with the Pokémon League. I'm leaving now. See you at the opening ceremony."
Once Cynthia was out of earshot, Ash and Etorre approached. Neither of them asked Luther what he and Cynthia had discussed.
Meanwhile, a photo of Cynthia sitting with Luther's group had already appeared on the forum.
Countless participating Pokémon Trainers scoured the forum for information about Luther, Etorre, and Ash, eager to uncover their strengths and weaknesses.
Bored and idly browsing the forum after receiving his Poké Ball, Dakota pressed a hand to his forehead.
"These three are really something else. Before the tournament even starts, they've already got everyone talking about them."
Dakota sighed as he scrolled through the forum replies and read the bitter and disdainful comments about Luther and his group.
"Oh well," he muttered. No one can stop them from reaching the main tournament anyway. Let them stew in their jealousy. It's only natural for the weak to resent the strong."
"I can't wait for the tournament to start," Dakota murmured softly.
"I wish the tournament would start right now," Evergreen said coldly, sneering at the online coverage of the Lily of the Valley Conference.
The Hodgepodge Organization's postponed meeting was scheduled to take place once the tournament entered its main phase.
The timing was perfect. With the entire Sinnoh League's attention focused on the conference, scrutiny of their activities would inevitably slacken.
This was the opportunity the higher-ups had been waiting for and the moment Evergreen had been anticipating most eagerly.
"Has the location been finalized?" Evergreen asked.
The subordinate beside him nodded. "It's set at the mining outpost outside Oreburgh City. It's secluded and hard to find."
"Are you certain all the Leaders will attend?" Evergreen pressed.
This was Evergreen's greatest concern. If anyone other than the leader failed to appear, it could cause complications.
Evergreen was a perfectionist at heart and believed that, to lead the Hodgepodge Organization, he needed to control all the leaders with an iron fist.
"They're already converging on Oreburgh City," the subordinate reported.
Evergreen trembled with excitement. Everything was unfolding perfectly, as if fate itself were guiding him toward his ambition of taking over the organization.
"Prepare the venue meticulously. Make sure the leaders feel perfectly at home."
After the subordinate left, Evergreen finally released his pent-up emotions and burst into laughter.
But now, everything was unfolding so smoothly that it felt divinely ordained. The sensation of absolute control was intoxicating.
Mira sat silently in the corner, watching Evergreen's manic rant.
"Are you ready?"
Perhaps sensing Mira's disdainful gaze, Evergreen's laughter gradually faded, becoming dry and brittle.
"If you hadn't forced me to take on six or seven people and a dozen Pokémon all at once, I wouldn't be in such a tight spot."
Mira glanced at her freshly manicured nails, frowned, and resumed fiddling with them.
"The Leader's Pokémon might be equipped with Type I amplification devices. Don't mess this up."
Mira shot Evergreen a sidelong glare. "If you distrust me so much, you could always find someone more capable to do this for you."
Ever since the people tailing Mira were exposed, Evergreen had noticed her growing increasingly irritable.
On many matters, Mira no longer consulted Evergreen. He had once been able to command her obedience as a benefactor, but now he received only disdainful glares.
Evergreen felt deep regret.
Mira was a remarkable talent, and he desperately wanted to give her a chance.
But after two months, he realized her heart had already drifted far away.
Forcing himself to calm down and ease Mira's anger, Evergreen waited until she left the lab. Then, with a smile, he approached the computer desk and opened a document.
He found her name in the spreadsheet and marked an X next to it.
A new era was about to dawn for the Hodgepodge organization.
Mira was no longer needed.
(End Of This Chapter)