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"Psychic powers as well..."
Ivy looked at Roy in disbelief. A psychic who possessed both aura and telekinetic abilities simultaneously was almost unheard of—he'd certainly kept this hidden well enough.
If this information became public, the outside world's evaluation of Roy would rise even higher. Of course, the official organization would definitely keep this secret for Roy's protection.
In actual combat, having an additional psychic trump card could reverse many situations.
"I lost again..." Ivy felt bitter. She had become a master-level trainer at a young age, undoubtedly a genius of her generation. Yet here she was, defeated twice in a row by the junior student she had once looked after and cared for.
Completely surpassed.
She finally understood why her peers called Roy the "big devil."
Ivy said quietly, "I surrender. Put me down."
However, Roy's response was unexpected.
"No way, Senior."
Roy's palm closed slightly, and the intensity of his psychic grip increased. He smiled faintly. "Didn't we agree that surrendering halfway through a fight wasn't allowed?"
"Wait!"
Ivy cried out in alarm, but in the next instant, her metal Substitute suddenly exploded with a resounding "BOOM!"
Roy let out a satisfied sigh. The most wonderful moment in any battle was seeing the enemy stunned and desperate. Surrendering halfway through really did ruin the experience.
Looking at the scattered metal parts and high-tech devices he couldn't begin to understand, Roy muttered, "I hope they don't ask me to pay for damages..."
Roy removed his helmet, retrieved his Poke Balls and Z-Ring from the destroyed Substitute, and returned to the examination room.
Ivy stood with her arms crossed, looking at him speechlessly.
"That was an enjoyable match," Roy said with genuine sincerity.
Ivy, thoroughly defeated and somewhat shell-shocked, had no mood to deal with him. She picked up a stack of documents and handed them to Roy.
Senior really can't take a joke... Roy thought to himself as he accepted the files and began reading through them.
He had passed the strength test of the first stage and the team battle assessment of the second stage. Now, before becoming a professional trainer, Roy faced only one final hurdle—the mission assessment.
Missions weren't assigned randomly but were distributed by officials according to each candidate's abilities. The stack of information in his hands contained mission-related details.
[On August 25th, several artifacts and cultural relics excavated from Alola's spiritual domains were stolen from the National Pokemon Research Center. Investigation revealed that a researcher named "Boone" was a research spy working for external forces and disappeared that same day.]
[On August 26th, after extensive investigation, we confirmed that Boone disguised himself as a Caucasian man and boarded a flight to New York on the day of the incident.]
[We applied to the Alliance for international law enforcement authority but encountered a series of obstacles, delays, and resistance from the US side.]
[On August 27th, relevant informants provided intelligence confirming that Boone had appeared in New York, changed his identity to 'Smith,' and assumed the role of a Chinese-American citizen.]
Boone was a twenty-four-year-old researcher who appeared to have no combat capabilities. Considering his status as a spy, there was a possibility he was concealing his strength, but given his age and the time spent on espionage activities, it was unlikely he had reached professional level.
According to official assessment, he possessed elite-level abilities at most. Any professional trainer could easily apprehend him.
"The US side is obviously protecting him," Ivy explained. "Boone is now serving as project director for a corporate conglomerate's private laboratory. They may have even sent him to infiltrate us in the first place."
Roy nodded and asked, "What exactly did he steal?"
There was only one National Pokemon Research Center in the Capital—the same facility where he had obtained his Z-Crystal. Many artifacts excavated from Alola's spiritual domains were stored there.
"The high-value items are heavily guarded, so he had no access to those," Ivy explained. "What he stole were survey maps and Pokemon data about Alola's interior regions. These materials can sell for substantial amounts on the black market, especially to poaching organizations."
Information leakage in this era of digital proliferation was essentially irreversible—thousands of copies could be made in seconds, making containment impossible. However, severely punishing the perpetrator remained necessary.
Otherwise, if criminals were seen living comfortable lives after their crimes, who would take China seriously in the future? This involved national deterrence.
Roy understood the mission's general scope, but a question arose: "If the US side is protecting him, how do I enter the country?"
"You can enter," Ivy smiled. "In fact, only you can enter, which is why this mission was assigned to you."
"For this year's Colress Awards, in order to appease and motivate victims of the previous 'nightmare incident,' the Alliance decided to present the awards in Los Angeles. This award is undoubtedly intended for you, and you'll soon receive an award nomination from the Alliance, inviting you to Los Angeles to accept the honor."
"That provides legitimate grounds for entry."
After listening, Roy remained puzzled: "Just because I'm receiving an award, the US will allow me to enter?"
Ivy wasn't surprised by his confusion. "The last Colress Award was presented before you were born, so it's understandable you're unfamiliar with this honor. Although I also heard about it from a senior colleague."
Ivy, feeling she was aging herself, quickly added, "Every Colress Award is presented personally by the Pokemon Alliance president. He places tremendous importance on this award. Anyone or any force attempting to interfere with the award's fairness receives severe punishment from the president."
The Pokemon Alliance president was named August Ivali. He was multinational—or rather, someone who transcended nationality and didn't belong to any single country.
Why was this the case? Because he wasn't a purebred human. He was a human-Pokemon hybrid who had lived for a hundred years but appeared to be only in his early forties.
His father had been one of the strongest among Earth's first generation of trainers. His mother had been a Milotic.
When Roy first learned this, he had been somewhat stunned by the unusual pairing.
Due to his unique mixed heritage, the president had become a bridge between legendary Pokemon and humans. A hundred years ago, he had been chosen as an envoy by the legendary Pokemon Lugia and Ho-Oh.
The president's prestige within the Alliance was extraordinarily high. Many geniuses from around the world had been promoted and mentored by him, and his personal strength was utterly unfathomable.
No one had ever seen him battle, but no one believed he was weak.
The president had never favored any particular country and remained committed to protecting spiritual domain ecosystems while promoting human technological development.
Precisely because he was powerful, didn't pursue personal interests, and commanded such high respect, he had been able to serve as president, acting as a mediator between Alliance nations, easing various conflicts, and maintaining global peace.
Given the president's deep investment in the Colress Awards, the US wouldn't dare interfere.
"I understand," Roy said, organizing his objectives.
New York was on the east coast while Los Angeles was on the west coast—a straight-line distance of approximately 3,500 kilometers. He would definitely be monitored during the award ceremony.
This meant that while receiving the award in Los Angeles, Roy would need to evade surveillance and travel over 3,500 kilometers to apprehend Boone in New York.
Boone's strength wasn't formidable—Roy could handle him with any of his Pokemon. The real challenge was avoiding detection during the operation.