Before leaving Jumpluff Forest, Silcoon received the special treatment she deserved.
No one knew what Totem Jumpluff of that clan had said to Silcoon, but all the way back, Silcoon sat in Mai's arms with a blissful smile on her face.
Chansey, meanwhile, patted the nutrition eggs in her pouch with satisfaction.
In a single day, she had left eleven Nutrient Eggs for Jumpluf, more than enough to compensate for Marill's Berry consumption, with even some to spare.
The happiest one of all was Jumpluff herself. It was the first time she had seen companions outside the Research Lab, and in her great mood, she didn't mind at all that Luther kept teasing her with his finger along the way.
Watching Silcoon smile herself to sleep, Mai knew she was preparing for another Evolution.
Most Bug-type Pokémon evolve very easily when food is plentiful. This kind of consecutive evolution was nothing unusual.
Ever since Wurmple evolved into Silcoon, Milcery had suddenly become clingy toward Luther. Pointing at Silcoon, she babbled "yi-ya-ya" about something.
Without even thinking, Luther knew that Milcery also wanted to evolve. After all, her sparring partners had all changed while she herself was still the same, and she was extremely interested in the changes in appearance that came with evolution.
Luther looked at Milcery with some hesitation. Evolution didn't just happen because you wanted it to. Although Milcery had been by his side for over six months, she had only recently started systematic training, and her battle experience was still in its infancy.
Moreover, he had heard that some Pokémon evolved in unique ways. The Galar region was completely unfamiliar territory to Luther, and he had no idea what the process of Milcery's evolution involved or what the required conditions were.
Seeing Milcery clinging tightly to his neck and acting spoilt, Luther couldn't resist that wave of cuteness. Ultimately, he had no choice but to ask Professor Rowan about it.
After all, research data from the Galar region currently circulated only among professors and researchers of various regions. To prevent leaks, a special data archive had even been set up.
To this day, Luther still didn't understand why Galar was doing things this way. Pokémon research had been advancing rapidly for almost twenty years, and the Pokémon Leagues of different regions had always worked closely together.
Galar was the only exception. Although they did cooperate, there were always all kinds of strange restrictions.
Luther had never really understood the deeper reasons, but among ordinary Pokémon Trainers like himself, the Galar region was seen as nothing more than a huge show of importance.
Driven by curiosity, Luther asked about Milcery and also inquired about the current situation of the Galar Pokémon League.
"It's no wonder the Galar Pokémon League is cautious. Do you know about Dynamaxing?"
Luther thought for a moment. "I've heard of it. Basically, normal Pokémon become really big."
"In the past, Galar's professors proposed a hypothesis: Even after leaving Galar and without using wristbands, Pokémon from the Galar region might still have the ability to Dynamax."
"Although there's no evidence to prove that the Galar Professors are wrong, self-isolation is actually a very good approach before the mystery of Pokémon Dynamaxing is understood."
In that sense, the Galar Pokémon League hasn't done anything wrong.
From what Luther already knew, the Galar region had long since adapted to Dynamaxing, changing its regional battle style and architectural features to achieve perfect compatibility.
During their conversation, Professor Rowan had retrieved the data Luther wanted from Galar's database.
"Actually, it'd be better if you went to take a look at the Galar Pokémon League forums yourself. I heard from other professors that Milcery's evolved form, Alcremie, has way too many variations, and the information they provide is all over the place."
"Some people say that after giving a Milcery a clover, it suddenly evolved into a three-coloured Alcremie. But when other Milcery owners tried it, some got no effect at all and others didn't get a three-coloured Alcremie either."
Professor Rowan's attachment had already been sent over. Hearing this, Luther began to feel conflicted.
"Headache-inducing, right? I'd get a headache too. Honestly, before the New Year, I really wanted to persuade you to send the Milcery to be raised in the Galar region. After all, you're committing an offence against the wind by treating the Pokémon League agreement like waste paper."
At that time, people had already seen you wandering around with Milcery, and the Galar Pokémon League was unhappy about you not returning it."
Luther frowned. 'They wanted to forcibly take Milcery away?'
"That was indeed their intention. After all, if she were to Dynamax and cause an accident, the Galar Pokémon League would be dragged into the eye of the storm. Their usual approach is to prevent problems before they arise, using harsh methods. They're unpopular, but you can't really say they're wrong."
"But... don't worry. They won't bother you," Professor Rowan said with a smile, stroking his beard.
Milcery stared blankly at the Alcremie picture on Mai's phone, her eyes sparkling as she practically pressed her face against the screen.
Seeing Milcery like that, Luther turned his head back and asked, "Why?"
"Because the Sinnoh League Champion is Cynthia."
"Back then, the Galar Pokémon League first contacted the Kalos League and learned about the situation from Diantha. After discovering Milcery was in Sinnoh, they tried to communicate with Cynthia through Diantha, but Cynthia flatly refused."
"And they just... gave up?"
Professor Rowan's expression was odd, as if he wanted to laugh. "Of course not! The Galar Pokémon League naturally went to Cynthia's house, demanding she facilitate Milcery's return. But Garchomp threw them out."
"Right in front of everyone, they were tossed out the front door. Enraged and humiliated, they tried to force their way in, only to get thoroughly beaten again."
"Cynthia said she wants Milcery and told Champion Leon to come get her himself," Professor Rowan said, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at Luther. "This incident caused quite a stir a few months ago. If it hadn't been for the New Year holidays, it would likely have escalated further."
Luther's lips twitched. "If they wanted Milcery, why didn't they just ask me?"
"Rules are important. A regional Pokémon League cannot casually interfere in the affairs of another region. Ever since the major regional Pokémon Leagues became autonomous, this rule has been absolute. If the Galar Pokémon League bypassed the Sinnoh League and pressured you directly, wouldn't that be a big blow to the Sinnoh League's pride?"
"So now you can rightfully keep Milcery. Cynthia, as the face of the Sinnoh League, has spoken. Sinnoh will naturally stand united against external pressure. And in Galar, Champion Leon has also made his position clear."
"If Cynthia wants a Milcery, just give her one. What's the big deal? You guys have way too much time on your hands."
Champion Leon's words were remarkably shrewd. He subtly pointed out that the Sinnoh League was the one who wanted the Milcery, implying they shouldn't blame Galar if anything went wrong. He also provided both Pokémon Leagues with a pride-saving way out of the situation.
Luther wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He genuinely hadn't realized that his single Milcery had sparked a covert clash between the two Pokémon Leagues.
Cynthia's direct confrontation had likely caught the Galar Pokémon League completely off guard. Faced with her unconventional tactics, the Sinnoh League swiftly rallied behind their Champion.
While the Sinnoh League had often criticized Cynthia for her lack of involvement, they weren't about to let outsiders challenge her authority.
Champion Leon of Galar, seizing the opportunity, threw his own league members under the bus to defuse the situation. By making it seem like they were the ones who had tried to invade Cynthia's mansion, he managed to smooth things over without further incident.
"Don't feel pressured. The Galar Pokémon League used this incident to lift some Pokémon restriction regulations. Since the new year, many Galar Pokémon League Pokémon Eggs have been circulating."
"There also seems to have been an academic breakthrough in distinguishing which Pokémon can Dynamax and which can't. These findings were released just before the incident occurred."
Luther suddenly understood.
The Galar Pokémon League was using Cynthia as a brand ambassador for their advertising campaign.
No wonder she felt increasingly annoyed whenever she mentioned the league to him afterward.
He had thought she was selflessly protecting him from harm, but it turned out they were just exploiting her fame. Through a series of maneuvers, they had dragged Kalos and Sinnoh into the mess.
Both Diantha and Cynthia were pulled into the scheme.
There was news about the Galar Pokémon League relaxing its restrictions, breakthroughs in academic research, and a round of publicity for Galar itself, a region that had long been banned and seemed mysterious to most Pokémon Trainers.
Luther glanced at Milcery. The little Pokémon was still admiring pictures of Alcremie.
She had no idea that three Pokémon Leagues had nearly come to blows because of her not so long ago.
(End of Chapter)
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