Oliver had no idea what was happening behind the scenes among the League's top brass.
Milotic was still asleep, with no sign of waking up anytime soon.
So Oliver took Gardevoir and Gible out for dinner at a Pokémon-themed restaurant in the capital. After that, he took advantage of the night to visit several famous landmarks well known across Xia Country.
After all, that was the true meaning of travel—
when you arrive somewhere new, you experience the local rhythm of life. Famous sights were naturally not to be missed.
Before going to bed, Oliver activated Cynthia's Garchomp Training Guide.
He had discovered earlier that when the system transmitted information directly into his brain during sleep, both the efficiency of transmission and his own absorption rate increased dramatically.
In his dreams, he observed—through a first-person perspective—the entire process of Cynthia training Gible all the way to Garchomp:
Every muscle group that needed strengthening,
every variation and evolution of techniques,
and the unique path Cynthia's Garchomp ultimately walked.
This knowledge wouldn't force Oliver to copy Cynthia's exact route, but it would allow him to quickly become a qualified Gible Trainer, while also providing valuable inspiration for Gible's future development.
The next morning, Oliver glanced toward where Milotic was resting.
Her eyes were still closed, with no sign of awakening. Compared to yesterday, her body showed no visible change at all.
If the system hadn't clearly indicated that Milotic was still absorbing the power, Oliver might have thought she was simply sleeping.
There was one more thing Oliver planned to do while in the capital—
to visit He Sheng.
This was the influential figure he had met when publishing his very first paper. That man had helped him immensely, and since it was still the New Year period, it was only right to pay a visit.
Oliver first called to confirm that He Sheng was home, then asked for the address.
Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, then recalled Milotic into her Poké Ball. Leaving her alone in the hotel felt unsafe—and if she woke up to find everyone gone, she would definitely panic.
He Sheng lived in a small villa within the city.
The property wasn't large—
in fact, it was even smaller than Oliver's home back in Rongcheng.
The neighborhood itself wasn't particularly impressive either. Anyone unfamiliar with the area would never guess that one of the Deputy Ministers of the Investigation Department lived here.
Ding-dong.
The door was opened by a plainly dressed middle-aged woman. Fine wrinkles framed the corners of her eyes, but it was still easy to see that she must have been a great beauty in her youth.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Oliver.
"You must be Xiao Chen. Old He is inside—come in, come in!"
Oliver greeted politely, "Happy New Year. Um… may I ask how I should address you?"
"Just call me Aunt Zhang," she replied with a smile.
Then she noticed the gifts in his hands and immediately complained,
"You didn't have to bring anything—come on in!"
She led Oliver into the study, where He Sheng was reading a book.
Seeing Oliver enter, He Sheng pointed at the chair across from him and laughed.
"Plenty of people wanted to visit me over the New Year. I turned them all away—for you."
"I'll go make some tea," Aunt Zhang said cheerfully before leaving the room.
Oliver smiled. "Uncle He, you and Aunt Zhang seem very close. How did you two meet?"
A nostalgic expression crossed He Sheng's face.
"That was decades ago. No need to bring it up."
Then he looked at Oliver meaningfully.
"But you didn't come all this way just to pay New Year's respects, did you?"
Oliver chuckled. "You helped me so much before. Since I finally made it to the capital, how could I not come see you?"
He Sheng smiled. "I appreciate that. But even if you have nothing to ask—I do."
"Please, go ahead."
"An old fellow heard that you'd be coming to see me. He passed along a message—he wants you to visit a certain place. There's someone there who wants to meet you."
Oliver grew curious. "May I ask who wants to see me?"
"I don't know either," He Sheng replied.
"But it won't do you any harm. That old fellow wouldn't hurt you. There's no rush—you can go anytime while you're still in the capital."
That only deepened Oliver's confusion.
Logically speaking, he had only just arrived in the capital. He shouldn't know many people here—yet it felt as if quite a few already knew him well.
"Then… who is this 'old fellow' you're talking about?"
"Qin Anzhi. You've heard of him, right?"
Oliver froze.
That name was practically known to everyone in Xia Country.
The current Chairman of the Xia Country Pokémon League—
the true figure at the top of the League.
Oliver had seen him on television many times: a kindly, approachable old man.
What shocked him was not just that Qin Anzhi had noticed him—
but that Uncle He casually referred to him as that old fellow.
Then… what exactly was Uncle He's identity?
"Uncle He, you…"
He Sheng paused for a moment, as if weighing whether he should reveal everything.
Finally, he spoke.
"Do you know about League Investigators?"
"Of course."
League Investigators were an elite force directly under the League Headquarters.
Secret Realms descending, Pokémon invasions, foreign spies, terrorist organizations—
these threats that felt distant to ordinary civilians were almost always handled by them.
When the Secret Realm descended in Chang'an City, Investigators had been among the first to enter for rescue operations.
They were warriors fighting in the shadows of the world.
If they disappeared, those dangers would hang over ordinary people like a blade, threatening their lives at any moment.
Because of how dangerous the work was, one hard requirement to join was at least veteran Trainer-level strength.
At the same time, their status within the League was extraordinarily high—
they essentially represented the pinnacle of a nation's Pokémon combat power.
"I am one of the Deputy Ministers of the League Investigation Department," He Sheng said calmly.
"My responsibilities include internal League officials and foreign infiltration."
Oliver knew a little about the Investigation Department—there were three Deputy Ministers in total, each overseeing different areas.
What he hadn't expected was that the man he met back when publishing his first paper—
this seemingly ordinary uncle—
held such a position.
With an identity like that, why would he personally travel to Rongcheng just to present an award?
Seeing Oliver's shocked expression, He Sheng reached into the drawer beside him and took out a photograph.
There were four people in the picture—He Sheng among them.
But the He Sheng in the photo had no scar on his face and looked far younger.
It was clearly taken decades ago.
What truly stunned Oliver, however—
was that he recognized his father in the photograph.
Standing at the center of the four.
Smiling.
Wearing the standard League Investigator uniform.
His facial features were at least eighty percent identical to Oliver's.
Ye Yuanhao.
The man Oliver had barely known since birth.
Even with his early memories intact, Ye Yuanhao's presence in his life was faint at best—
a figure who had long vanished.
Oliver had always believed his father was just an ordinary civilian Trainer,
someone who died during a Secret Realm exploration.
Yet here he was—
in a photograph of Deputy Ministers of the Investigation Department, wearing an Investigator's uniform.
"This is…"
"When this photo was taken, we had just joined the Investigators," He Sheng said slowly.
"Now, aside from your father… the three of us have all become Deputy Ministers of the Investigation Department."
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