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That phone call.
The Mayor spent a full five minutes on the line.
The cold sweat he had just wiped from his forehead began to bead again, even more profusely than before.
When he hung up the communicator,
the back of the Mayor's shirt was already completely soaked.
He took a deep breath and turned around. The respectful and flattering expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced by the cold, decisive aura of a superior.
"Men!"
The Mayor shouted in a low voice.
Several police officers immediately stepped forward.
"Arrest Sato!"
The Mayor's hand pointed directly at Sato, who was still wearing a sycophantic smile while trying to suck up to Roy.
"Huh?"
The smile on Sato's face instantly froze.
Before he could react, two officers had already grabbed him by the arms from both sides.
"Mayor! Mayor! This is a misunderstanding! I... I didn't do anything!"
Sato cried out in panic.
"Misunderstanding?"
The Mayor sneered, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Illegally capturing and imprisoning wild Pokemon, triggering a large-scale Pokemon riot that nearly led to the destruction of the city!"
"Colluding with the unscrupulous merchant Old Woman Jin to illegally push forward engineering projects that destroy the ecology!"
"Sato, you're in big trouble!"
Every word hit Sato's heart like a heavy hammer.
His face turned deathly pale, and his legs went weak; he could barely stand even while being dragged by the officers.
"No... it's not... Old Woman Jin tempted me! I was framed!"
Sato wailed, trying to shift the blame.
But the Mayor ignored him completely.
When his gaze turned back to Roy, it returned to that complex look of gratitude mixed with a hint of awe.
"Mr. Roy, I apologize for this unsightly scene."
"Our municipal government will definitely conduct a thorough internal investigation to give you and all the citizens an explanation!"
Roy nodded and didn't say much.
He had a rough idea of what was happening.
Previously, he had used his communicator to contact Officer Jenny in Vermilion City to report that Old Woman Jin and Sato might be imprisoning Tentacool and were involved in illegal engineering projects.
Later, Jenny must have told Joy, and the two great families had exerted their influence together.
The influence of these two families within the League was not something a mere Lampurchi City could withstand.
Over in Vermilion City, they had likely already taken swift action and detained Old Woman Jin.
The pressure naturally transmitted here... things were moving even faster than expected.
In less than half an hour,
the piercing sound of sirens came from the sky.
Several exclusive aircraft bearing the League's emblem rapidly landed on the open ground of the pier.
The hatch doors opened.
Stepping out first were several investigation commissioners in deep blue uniforms with serious expressions.
Their epaulettes showed that they were directly authorized by League Headquarters.
The Mayor, followed by all the officials, almost ran to meet them, his attitude humble to the extreme.
The League investigation commissioners didn't waste any words, directly flashing their IDs and documents.
"Mayor of Lampurchi City, in accordance with the League's 'Urban Safety and Ecological Protection Act' and the 'Pokemon Rights and Interests Protection Regulations,' League Headquarters has specially dispatched us to conduct a full investigation into this 'Tentacool Riot Incident'!"
"Please cooperate with all of our work!"
The Mayor nodded repeatedly: "We will! Absolutely!"
The investigation commissioners' gaze swept over the messy pier and the sea, finally landing on Roy.
Their eyes held scrutiny, but also a trace of subtle amazement.
They had obviously learned from Jenny and Joy about the key role this young man played in this incident.
One commissioner stepped forward and gave Roy a salute.
"Trainer, thank you for your outstanding efforts in calming the incident and protecting the city and the Pokemon. We may need your assistance later to take a detailed statement."
Roy responded calmly: "It was my duty."
The entire municipal government system immediately began operating at high speed.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say it was forced into high gear by the arrival of the League commissioners.
Sato was directly escorted onto an aircraft and taken away for interrogation.
The basement of Paradise Resort was quickly opened, and more than thirty imprisoned Tentacool regained their freedom. Under Nurse Joy's personal care, they safely returned to the sea.
All engineering project documents related to Old Woman Jin and Sato were seized.
Officials suspected of illegal operations were suspended one by one and placed under investigation.
A storm of rectification swept through Lampurchi City... A few days later.
The city's cleanup work was basically complete.
Damaged streets were being repaired, and the panicked populace was beginning to calm down.
The Mayor showed incredible efficiency and political intuition this time.
He personally supervised the mobilization of heavy machinery to begin demolishing the 'Paradise Resort' resort that had caused all the trouble.
As the massive mechanical arms smashed into those luxurious but ugly buildings, countless citizens watched from a distance, clapping and cheering.
At the same time,
the proposal to establish the 'Giant Tentacruel and Tentacool Ecological Reserve' was passed unanimously by the city council at the fastest speed in history.
Not only was it passed, but the Mayor personally designated a much larger sea area than the original habitat as the reserve and enacted extremely strict protection laws.
No vessels were allowed to enter without permission, and any form of fishing or development was permanently banned.
Why so fast?
On one hand, the bloody lesson was right before them; no one dared to joke about the city's safety again.
On the other hand... in the Mayor's office, he was currently expounding his 'brilliant views' to his trusted officials with great enthusiasm.
"Idiots! This is a crisis, but it's also an opportunity!"
"Such a huge Tentacruel! Have any of you seen one before? There probably aren't more than a few in the entire world!"
"This is the unique 'feature' of our Lampurchi City! Our living billboard!"
He pointed at the sea map on the wall, his eyes shining.
"Our city has no Gym and no local specialties. Before, we could only desperately try to promote the beaches, and even then, we barely got by!"
"But now? 'Habitat of the World-Rare Giant Tentacruel'!'Super-Large Water-type Pokemon Ecological Reserve'!"
"The gimmick! The traffic! Won't tourists be fighting to come here? Even if they can't get close, just seeing it from a distance in the safety zone and taking a photo will be enough for them to brag about for a lifetime!"
"Related souvenirs, observation stations, science museums... the industry chain is right there!"
The trusted officials suddenly understood, and flattery flowed like a tide.
"The Mayor's insight is profound!"
"Turning a crisis into a turning point, truly brilliant!"
Thus, all documents, funds, and supporting measures for the reserve were given the green light and implemented rapidly.
The Mayor had even started wondering how to invite the League's TV station to do a special report... In the seaside villa.
Roy stood by the window, looking at the massive dorsal fin of the Giant Tentacruel occasionally surfacing for air in the distance, his expression calm.
In his mind, the system's prompt sounded right on time.
[Ding!]
[Mission: Prevent the Giant Tentacruel from harming Lampurchi City and perfectly resolve the Tentacruel marine ecology issue.]
[Status: Completed.]
[Dragon Scale x1, added to system inventory.]
[intermediate rare candy x3, added to system inventory.]
With a thought, Roy checked his system inventory.
A heavy scale shimmering with a deep blue luster and bearing mysterious dragon patterns lay quietly in a slot.
"Good stuff," Roy praised inwardly.
Evolution items of this level commanded astronomical prices anywhere.
Looking at his candy stock again: Basic Rare Candy *3, intermediate rare candy *6, high-grade rare candy *3.
"I have 6 intermediate candies now..." Roy calculated. "I can start the Gym-level training plan."
Gym-level was an important watershed.
It meant that a Pokemon's energy, move mastery, and combat awareness had reached a new level, sufficient to serve as the main force of an ordinary Gym.
With these 6 intermediate candies, the overall strength of his core team would experience a leap forward... Another two days passed.
Everything had settled down.
The Mayor personally sought out Roy, who was about to leave, his attitude incredibly warm.
In the reception room, he rubbed his hands together, his face full of smiles.
"Mr. Roy, it's really thanks to you this time! Look, the city is saved, and we even found a new development feature out of this misfortune."
"I've been thinking, and I feel that a young, promising, powerful, and responsible Trainer like you is truly a once-in-a-century find!"
He leaned forward and lowered his voice, revealing his true intention.
"Our Lampurchi City has never had its own representative Gym."
"I would like to sincerely invite you, in the name of the municipal government, to open a Gym here!"
"As long as you agree, we will provide the best location for the venue for free! For construction costs, the municipal government can provide special loans with ultra-low interest and ultra-long terms!"
"We can even jointly develop tourism projects for the 'Tentacruel Reserve' with you. The profit sharing will be extremely generous!"
The conditions offered were extremely tempting.
Leaping to become a Gym Leader, having one's own territory and industry, a skyrocketing social status, and a steady stream of wealth... For the vast majority of Trainers, this was a dream they wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Roy held his teacup, gently blew on the steam, but shook his head.
"I appreciate the Mayor's kindness, but I still want to continue my journey and training."
The Mayor was stunned, not expecting to be rejected so bluntly.
"Mr. Roy, won't you reconsider? This is the position of a Gym Leader! How many Trainers spend their whole lives struggling for it..."
Roy interrupted with a smile: "Mayor, it's precisely because I've considered it that I'm refusing."
Roy had already made deep considerations in his mind.
While it looked like a wonderful step up the social ladder, in reality, there were many pitfalls involved.
First, a low-interest loan is still a debt. Gym construction, maintenance, and hiring staff are all huge expenses. Currently, he didn't have that much money and didn't want to carry that much debt.
Second, Lampurchi City's foundation was weak. Even if it passed the League's assessment with great effort and became a representative Gym, its attraction would be far inferior to the famous Gyms in large cities. With fewer challengers, the League's funding and prestige accumulation would be slow.
Third, his partners had immense potential; in the future, every one of them could be a god of war.
But at this stage, what they needed more was the tempering of various battles and the broad vision of the world gained through travel, rather than being fixed in one place, repeatedly accepting challenges from beginners.
Fourth, the internal relationships in Lampurchi City had just undergone a rectification, and it was hard to say what the future held. He didn't want to tie himself here too early and be bound to political interests.
Seeing Roy's firm refusal, the Mayor truly realized that the young man before him not only had extraordinary strength but also a meticulous mind and long-term vision far beyond his peers.
The so-called temptation of being a Gym Leader probably looked like a flashy but troublesome burden in the other's eyes.
"Sigh... what a pity, such a pity." The Mayor sighed deeply, knowing it was a lost cause.
But he quickly adjusted his expression, took out a pre-prepared check from a drawer, and handed it over with both hands.
"Since Mr. Roy's ambitions lie elsewhere, I won't force it."
"This is a small token from our municipal government and all the citizens—1 million alliance coins as a reward for being our 'City Hero.' Please, you must accept it!"
"I also wish you great success and the championship at the upcoming Indigo League Conference!"
"Lampurchi City will always welcome you! Whenever you return, you will be our most honored guest!"
This time, Roy did not refuse.
He took the check, looked at the number, and nodded.
"The Mayor is too kind. I'll accept this reward."
He had put in a great deal of effort, taken risks, and resolved a crisis that could have destroyed the city. Taking a million was perfectly reasonable.
Seeing the check enter Roy's pocket, the Mayor actually felt a bit more at ease.
Being willing to take the money meant no grudge was held, and there might be chances to deal with each other in the future... Leaving the municipal government,
Roy checked his League bank account.
He had already earned quite a bit in Vermilion City, and with this new million, his total assets were now close to two million alliance coins.
In this world, this was already a considerable fortune.
It was enough to support a high-quality period of training and travel without having to worry about money.
"When others train, they burn through money like water."
"But for me, resolving incidents brings rich rewards, and I'm actually getting richer as I train."
The corner of Roy's mouth curled into a pleasant arc.
"This feeling is indeed wonderful."
... Lampurchi City Pier.
The sun was bright and the sea breeze was gentle.
The gloom brought by the Giant Tentacruel incident had long since dissipated. The beach had returned to its former liveliness, and because of the 'Reserve' gimmick, there were even more tourists than before.
Roy packed his gear.
Misty and Delia were already waiting by his side.
After a few days of rest, both girls had regained their radiance.
Misty had changed into a new sleeveless dress that outlined her youthful and slender curves;
Delia was still in that elegant white long dress, looking gentle and graceful.
"Is everything handled?" Misty asked, her eyes still holding a bit of lingering fear, but mostly reliance.
"Yeah." Roy nodded and naturally reached out to ruffle her short hair. "We've been delayed for a few days; it's time to get back on the road."
Misty's face turned slightly red, but she didn't pull away, instead giving a soft "Mhm."
Delia watched gently from the side, her gaze falling on Roy, with deep affection hidden in the depths of her eyes.
The worries and shared experiences of these past few days had made a certain emotion increasingly clear and fervent.
The Mayor brought a group of officials to personally see them off, making for quite a grand scene.
Many citizens also came upon hearing the news, waving at Roy and shouting, "Safe travels, big bird hero!"
Roy waved back at the crowd, then quickly left the bustling send-off party with Delia and Misty, setting off once again on his journey of training.