She paused and made her point clear.
"If you are willing to offer your talents to Team Galactic, then in return, Team Galactic will provide you with information, food, clothing, shelter, and everything else you need to meet your needs in the Hisui Region."
"Of course, the premise is that your value is sufficient."
"If you cannot offer corresponding value, then…"
Her gaze sharpened.
"Team Galactic does not keep idlers, so go back to where you came from."
"Or, if you want to wander around the Hisui Region, that's your choice, but Jubilife Village does not welcome idlers."
Cyllene said coldly.
In short, if you're useful, stay and earn resources through labor; if not, get out.
Facing Cyllene's harsh words, Ash frowned, almost ready to speak.
He's always been polite, but the domineering attitude of the other party irritated the young and spirited him.
However, just as he was about to act, Cynthia quietly grabbed his wrist.
The message was clear—I'll handle this, don't say anything.
The smile on Cynthia's face remained unchanged from start to finish.
Even as Cyllene spoke those cold, survival-of-the-fittest words, she maintained her composed smile.
"Of course, you only get what you work for."
Cynthia gracefully took over the conversation.
"So… what exactly do you need us to do by joining Team Galactic?"
For modern people, Cyllene's words were overly harsh.
In modern society, the situation is far from being as cruel as in the Hisui Region.
Everyone lives without worrying about food, clothing, and shelter, not having to fear Pokémon attacks, with all sorts of entertainment facilities available.
Because of this, the survival of the fittest rule in the Hisui Region seems excessive in the modern world.
But since they came to the Hisui Region, they naturally had to abide by its rules.
Moreover, they needed help from Team Galactic.
Only by relying on this organization based here could they possibly find clues to return home in this unfamiliar land.
Having local support is much faster than groping in the dark alone.
Thus, Cynthia wasn't afraid of Team Galactic's conditions; she feared they wanted nothing at all.
Meanwhile, Cyllene looked at Cynthia, slightly surprised.
She hadn't expected this beautiful woman to show no reaction to the cold aura she deliberately released.
Even when treated with such cold words, she could still maintain her poised smile.
'This woman… is no ordinary person.'
Just this brief exchange made Cyllene elevate her estimation of Cynthia several levels.
As for the boy hiding in the back… not worth bothering about, just a rash young man.
The one to be wary of is this woman who acts like an elder sister.
"Go change your clothes first."
Cyllene glanced at the two of them and said slowly.
"Though I don't know which region you're from, your clothes stand out here, especially the boy's."
Cynthia was still in her black coat, with tight pants and a fitted top underneath.
This outfit wasn't too out of place in Jubilife Village, managing to blend in somewhat.
But Ash's clothes were different.
Shorts, short sleeves, and jeans — this purely modern style clashed entirely with this ancient region.
They did not refuse and picked out more suitable clothes from the store in Jubilife Village.
The styles they chose were similar.
Cynthia wrapped a red sash around her chest, revealing her fair neck and delicate collarbones.
A dark blue top almost reached down to her thighs, cinched at the waist with an orange belt, making the bottom resemble a skirt.
Shorts, knee-high socks, paired with straw boots.
Cynthia's Hisui edition outfit, complete!
Ash's outfit wasn't much different from Cynthia's, also in a Hisui-style traditional outfit.
After stepping out of the dressing room, they looked at each other curiously.
"Ash, your outfit looks good."
Cynthia spoke first.
"Sister looks good in anything."
Wooden Ash rarely praised Cynthia's appearance, and he was getting used to calling her Sister now.
His words caught Cynthia off guard, taking her three seconds to react.
"Oh~ the little guy learned how to compliment people~" Cynthia laughed, teasingly, "I love hearing that, say it more often in the future."
"Okay!"
Ash said solemnly, giving a mock salute.
Next, they exchanged a glance and couldn't help but chuckle.
After changing, they followed a boy named Rei into Team Galactic's headquarters, a towering building.
Rei was a genius boy from Jubilife Village.
According to him, he became a Team Galactic provisional member at the age of fifteen.
People here take pride in joining Team Galactic.
Becoming a provisional member at fifteen was quite an achievement in Jubilife Village.
Besides, Ash and Cynthia had heard of Rei's name from Professor Laventon.
This was the boy often zapped by Pikachu!
It turns out, he was quite a representative of the Hisui Region.
If you can face Pokémon here, you can join Team Galactic and earn its respect.
It seems in this Hisui Region, Pokémon are valued even more than in their original world.
"Creak—"
Under Rei's lead, they arrived at Cyllene's office door and pushed it open.
"You're here?"
Engrossed in her paperwork, Cyllene looked up at the sound.
She set her papers aside and folded her hands under her chin, looking solemnly at them.
This was one of her usual leader tactics.
Such a pose, along with her poker face, often imposed invisible pressure.
However, this intimidation tactic had no effect on someone like Cynthia, who held the Champion title for years.
As for Ash… frankly, he'd seen all sorts of challenges before.
Thinking they'd intimidate him with this posture?
That's thinking too much.
This intimidation is less than one ten-thousandth of what Palkia and Dialga could produce.
"Yes, may we know now exactly what joining Team Galactic entails?"
Cynthia asked confidently.
"Don't get me wrong, you're not formally part of Team Galactic yet." Cyllene shook her head, "To join, you'll need to go through an assessment."
She said, pushing a file across the table.
"This is a commission from the Diamond Clan, a condition set by Captain Kamado for your entry."
"Once you complete this commission, you can join Team Galactic."
"From then on, you can earn rewards or gather information by completing various commissions received by Team Galactic."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed slightly.
This idea… likely came from that Kamado person.
Clever move.
This tactic turned their situation from being "forced to join Team Galactic" into "wanting to join Team Galactic willingly but having to seek help by completing tasks."
These two entry methods led to completely different outcomes.
However… Cynthia didn't mind.
They weren't planning to survive forever in this era, after all.
Ultimately, they just wanted to use Team Galactic to achieve their goals.
If the other side wanted to play a little trick, let them.
"No problem, leave it to us."