"The League Chairman previously issued an order to all Gym Leaders across the Hoenn region," Wallace said as he clutched his arm.
"He told us that the Champion of Kanto would very likely come to Hoenn, and asked us to offer as much assistance as possible if we encountered you. Apparently, this involves an extremely serious incident in Kanto."
Wallace grimaced slightly. Garchomp's earlier collision had hurt far more than he wanted to admit. If not for Clamperl blocking most of the impact, that hit landing directly on a human body would have turned him into nothing more than a pile of mangled flesh.
Although Logan's attack had clearly been a surprise strike, Wallace couldn't help but stare at the massive Garchomp—its enormous frame radiating terrifying power—and silently compare their strength.
After doing so, Wallace came to a sobering conclusion: even in a fair, head-on battle, his chances of losing would be far greater.
Especially considering that footage of Logan's battle at Rainbow University against the Unova Champion, Alder, had already spread across the internet. Just thinking about that Pokémon called Mewtwo, whose power shattered the sky itself, made Wallace certain that if a true fight to the death broke out, he would be the one who died.
If there had been some irreconcilable hatred between them, Wallace would have fought to the end even if gravely injured. But now that he knew Logan's identity, there was simply no reason to continue fighting.
Though this Champion of Kanto clearly had an overly aggressive style, it still wasn't enough for Wallace to completely fall out with him.
Of course, Wallace knew full well that this willingness to "let it go" existed only because of the disparity in strength. If Logan lacked this level of power, then no matter how gentle Wallace's temperament was, he would never have chosen to swallow his pride so easily.
"Tbh… the Chairman really went out of his way for nothing," Logan muttered coldly.
Though the League Chairman's intentions were good—alerting all Hoenn Gym Leaders in advance, asking them to avoid conflict if they encountered Logan, and even to lend a helping hand if possible—Logan disliked this feeling of his movements being exposed.
He preferred to act unseen, working alone in the shadows, not having every step tracked and anticipated.
"I just didn't expect the Champion of Kanto to come to Sootopolis City first…"
Wallace fixed his gaze on Logan as he spoke, still not fully relaxed. Logan's tendency to strike without warning had genuinely shaken him.
Logan recalled Garchomp into its Poké Ball. With a gentle smile, he walked up to Wallace and extended his hand.
"…My apologies, Gym Leader Wallace of Sootopolis City. I didn't know it was you earlier, so I may have gone a bit too far. I hope you won't take it to heart."
Now that Wallace had recognized him, Logan could hardly continue pretending ignorance and force his way through. His demeanor instantly changed, becoming warm and enthusiastic.
Only then did Logan properly examine the man said to have once fought the Hoenn Champion to a draw, yet ultimately chose to remain a Gym Leader.
How should he describe him?
Logan could only think of words like flamboyant—or even overly flamboyant.
From his fashion alone, Wallace looked like a male model. His clothes were trendy, his slender figure somewhat effeminate, lacking traditional masculine toughness. That said, this kind of polished, idol-like style was exactly what clueless young girls adored.
And what gay men adore too, Logan added silently.
Wallace suddenly shivered for no reason, feeling as though the Champion of Kanto was thinking something deeply inappropriate. Still, he took Logan's hand and returned a similarly polite—if somewhat forced—smile.
You recognized me the moment we met, attacked without hesitation, and now you're pretending you didn't know who I was…
Wallace muttered inwardly. But since Logan had offered him a way out, and Wallace's emotional intelligence was high enough, he didn't expose the pretense. Instead, the two men began chatting warmly, as though the violent clash earlier had never happened.
Logan explained his purpose, though he deliberately avoided mentioning the Eon Flute, only saying that he hoped to find clues within the Cave of Origin. Wallace, in turn, patted his chest confidently, assuring Logan that he was extremely familiar with the Cave of Origin and personally guided him through it.
"The Cave of Origin is classified as forbidden not because it hides secrets," Wallace explained,
"But because it is the resting place of the ancestors who founded Sootopolis City. My forebears led the people here and established the first city, leaving behind a family mandate for every generation to guard this shrine. League investigators have come here before, but they never discovered anything."
Wallace gave Logan a thorough tour, explaining everything in detail.
Logan's brows gradually knitted together.
Just as Wallace said, all the murals depicted the construction history of Sootopolis City—valuable information for historians, but utterly useless to Logan. The central stone monument merely listed the names of those who had helped build the city.
This place really was nothing more than an ancestral shrine.
Just as Logan began wondering whether the Eon Flute had already been moved elsewhere, Wallace led him into one of the smaller chambers branching off from the main cavern.
The Cave of Origin wasn't just one massive hollow; several smaller caves had been carved out within it. And the moment Logan stepped into one such chamber, his eyelid twitched violently.
His fingers clenched around a slip of paper in his hand.
Because the layout of this chamber—and the symbols painted on its walls—were identical to the illustrations he had found in ancient records.
Logan glanced sideways at Wallace. The Sootopolis Gym Leader showed no sign of noticing Logan's sudden agitation and continued explaining:
"…These symbols are Unknown script. In fact, Unknown symbols appear in many ancient ruins. Some scholars believe Unknown represents a mysterious written language, and even suspect that many extinct civilizations were connected to them. However, no one has been able to definitively prove anything."
Wallace didn't find the Unknown symbols remarkable. They appeared in almost every ancient ruin, and even modern architecture sometimes used them decoratively to create an air of mystery. People in this world had long since grown accustomed to them.
"It seems I came to the wrong place," Logan said calmly.
He didn't reveal his discovery. If this place truly hid a secret, then it was better if he alone knew.
"Since I've misjudged the location, I won't waste any more time here. My schedule is tight, and I still have other suspected sites to investigate. I deeply apologize for injuring you earlier, Gym Leader Wallace—but the situation in Kanto is urgent. I simply can't afford to linger. When circumstances allow, I'll visit again to make proper amends."
Logan frowned as if irritated by his mistake, then turned and headed straight for the exit.
Wallace froze mid-explanation. Only after Logan had walked far ahead did he hastily follow.
At the entrance of the Cave of Origin, Logan summoned Garchomp once more. After exchanging a few polite words, he mounted it and departed.
Wallace stood there in a daze, watching Logan leave in a whirlwind.
"What… just happened?" he muttered.
"He attacked me out of nowhere, then left just as abruptly?"
He rubbed his back—already badly bruised. That hit from Garchomp had been brutal.
Still, having this walking calamity finally gone, Wallace let out a long sigh of relief. Shaking his head, he prepared to return to his Gym. Halfway back, he hesitated, then sent a message to the Fortree City Gym Leader, Winona, warning her to be cautious if she encountered the Champion of Kanto—lest she provoke him and end up getting beaten.
…
Late at night, Logan quietly returned to Sootopolis City.
This time, he didn't arrive in grand fashion atop Garchomp. Instead, he had Espeon use psychic power to carry him silently into the Cave of Origin.
The same burning torches. The same vast, silent cavern.
Logan didn't linger. He went straight to the small chamber he had discovered earlier that day.
Taking out his notebook, he carefully compared the Unknown symbols on the wall with the sketches recorded inside.
There was no doubt.
He had found the place.
"Then let me see…" Logan murmured, eyes blazing as he stared at the wall,
"…just what kind of secret this Cave of Origin is hiding."
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