Chapter 138 Indigo Plateau, Kanto Commander-in-Chief
Time flies like an arrow; in the blink of an eye, five days had passed.
Xia Mu, with Sonia riding his Arcanine, traveled through many cities before finally arriving at the Indigo Plateau.
It should be said that Xia Mu successfully registered for the Indigo League just before the registration deadline.
There were actually quite a few trainers like him who arrived at the last minute, as most only found out the registration deadline at the last minute, and most had planned their travels accordingly, arriving at the Indigo Plateau at this time for their final rest before the league.
After completing the final registration, Xia Mu and Sonia found a simple restaurant nearby for a meal.
A lot had happened in the past five days.
It's worth mentioning that as his travel time lengthened, the factory in Tsubaki City had fully entered a stable development phase.
A while ago, there were issues with acquiring berries and some ingredients. With those issues resolved, the Energy Cube production line stabilized, and a certain stock of Energy Cubes for common Pokémon in the Kanto region was already available.
There were exclusive Energy Cubes, as well as flavored ones.
It's worth mentioning that a box of 100 Energy Cubes costs 100 League Coins if purchased from the system shop, but the cost of manufacturing them is less than 30 League Coins.
Even including labor costs and other expenses, the cost wouldn't exceed 50 League Coins per box at most, and the cost would only decrease as production increased.
Xia Mu priced it at 1000 League Coins per box, since one box of Energy Cubes is roughly a month's supply for an average Pokémon.
He couldn't overcharge, but he also couldn't operate at a loss. Compared to Energy Cube prices in other regions, 1000 League Coins per box was not only inexpensive but also quite cheap.
Xia Mu wanted to make it suitable for the general public, so that he could earn enough money in a short time, and his Energy Cubes would be more widely accepted and popularized more quickly.
These past few days, Jessie and James have been traveling to various cities in the Kanto region, busy with the leasing and purchasing of shops.
Their parents have also played a crucial role, leveraging the Xia family's connections to make things proceed more smoothly.
Although the Dream House Energy Cube established by Xia Mu isn't considered part of the Xia family's business, it's still highly valued by Xia Mu and Kisori.
They hope Xia Mu can break free from the family's constraints and not end up like them.
As for the family members, they naturally hope for his success, because in their eyes, Xia Mu is Xia Mu and Kisori's son, one of the future heirs to the Xia family's power; his achievements will belong to the family and be inherited by future generations.
...
During the meal, because Xia Mu sent a message to his mother, Kisori, saying he had arrived at the Quartz Plateau and had registered, his mother urgently called to inquire about his situation.
During the call with his mother, Xia Mu explained the current situation in detail.
With a week to go before the tournament opens, he decided not to return to Round Island, but to continue his travels near the Indigo Plateau with Sonia.
His mother wasn't surprised and promised to come cheer him on when the Indigo Plateau tournament opened.
Naturally, she also inquired about Sonia's situation.
Unlike before, Xia Mu didn't hesitate and directly told his mother about his relationship with Sonia.
While he couldn't say he'd slept with her, he made it clear they were in a relationship, so his mother didn't need to ask any more questions.
After hanging up, Sonia complained a bit about Xia Mu.
She was upset that he hadn't discussed it properly before making things clear, leaving her embarrassed and unsure how to face her aunt.
What annoyed her even more was that her mother was more proactive than him, texting Sonia immediately after the call.
After dinner, Xia Mu and Sonia strolled around the Indigo Plateau.
They were actually getting a feel for the venue's layout.
Just like in the original story, the Indigo Plateau was divided into four preliminary arenas: Water, Grass, Ice, and Rock.
The rules were that each player would battle with three Pokémon per match. Hundreds of players would have their opponents and battle arenas randomly drawn, and only the winner could advance to the second round.
The competition was extremely rigorous, with no possibility of a revival round.
Furthermore, Xia Mu learned that due to the large number of participants, the competition might be extended to three days.
The first day consisted of two rounds of preliminary eliminations, with an estimated 64 players advancing.
The second day continued with three more rounds of preliminary eliminations, determining the top 16 in the morning and the top eight in the afternoon!
Finally, there would be a six-on-six all-out battle.
Although he had read the original work, Xia Mu had long forgotten these details.
In short, that was roughly it.
Having understood the specifics of the venue, Xia Mu didn't plan to leave the Indigo Plateau with Sonia to explore nearby areas. Instead, he went to a hotel and booked a room.
Because the Indigo Tournament was about to begin, the Indigo Plateau was already bustling with activity.
In other words, Xia Mu and Sonia were actually late.
Fortunately, the hotel had available rooms, and they easily booked one.
During his rest, Xia Mu received a call from En Tetsu, the commander-in-chief of the Kanto Alliance.
The old man had unexpectedly learned of his arrival at the Indigo Plateau Pokémon League headquarters and invited him to meet him at the headquarters building.
This was completely unexpected.
After learning the details, Xia Mu discovered that the data he had submitted had been seen by Yan Tie, who, after confirming it was Xia Mu, sent the invitation.
Xia Mu couldn't refuse, so he went with Sonia.
As a Pokémon researcher in the Galar region, Sonia was also a member of the League, so it wasn't inappropriate for her to come along.
Arriving at the League headquarters in Indigo Plateau, Xia Mu was somewhat shocked.
He had always heard about the League's official operations and headquarters, and now he finally saw it with his own eyes.
He was certainly awestruck, as he hadn't imagined the League headquarters building would be so magnificent and enormous.
Upon arrival, they naturally underwent a check, as they had no identification and needed to register.
After explaining their purpose, Xia Mu and Sonia were quickly led by internal staff to the top floor of the building.
This was the office area where the Commander-in-Chief was located.
Upon meeting Yan Tie, Xia Mu was astonished by the kind-looking old man before him.
Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary old man was actually the commander of the League, the most powerful person in the entire Kanto region?
Even on the world stage, he would be a top figure.
The original work didn't mention the existence of the League's high-ranking officials, but their absence didn't mean they didn't exist. These important figures wouldn't appear before the public so easily; even a league champion might never get a meeting.
Yan Tie, seemingly unfazed by Xia Mu's shock, simply smiled kindly.
Talking with him, Xia Mu felt like a child, following Yan Tie's every word. He
barely managed to find a sense of belonging, using his own attitude to stabilize his emotions and avoid being swayed.
A true master of manipulation can easily trap you if you're not careful.
On the surface, Yan Tie seemed incredibly kind, but the real Yan Tie was undoubtedly ruthless; Xia Mu's Aura sensed the faint but palpable aura emanating from him.
To attain this position, one cannot be simple.
Having witnessed Yan Tie's prepared speech, Xia Mu roughly understood Yan Tie's meaning.
Someone of Yan Tie's stature wouldn't summon him without a purpose,
even though he was a descendant of the Xia family, even though he was Xia Bo's grandson.
Of course, Yan Tie also frankly revealed part of the reason: Xia Mu's performance was worthy of his attention; Xia Mu had captured the Firebird, demonstrating formidable strength.
Even though many in history had captured divine birds, Yan Tie had investigated Xia Mu's background.
Either he was a genius among geniuses, achieving this level of success in just one month,
or Xia Mu was hiding some secret known only to himself.
Fortunately, Xia Mu had anticipated this probing and was mentally prepared.
Sometimes, feigning ignorance was the best response.
In the end, Yan Tie didn't delve deeper; he merely lamented that the situation in Kanto hadn't changed for many years.
He hoped Xia Mu's appearance could break the status quo.
Therefore, Yan Tie hoped Xia Mu would participate in the regional championship challenge.
The reason Yan Tie was so certain of Xia Mu's abilities was that he had even gathered information about Xia Mu's strength from A Ju, concluding that he possessed champion-level strength.
At the very least, he could reach the position of a Heavenly King.
It all depended on how far Xia Mu could go.
"I am truly honored to have received the approval of Commander-in-Chief Yan Tie, but aren't you worried that if I were to assume this position, it might actually be detrimental to you? Besides, I am a descendant of the Xia family; shouldn't the alliance be on guard?" Xia Mu began.
Yan Tie laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Indeed clever, knowing how to change the subject to get to the bottom of things. I won't waste any more words with you. This old man still quite likes you, even though this is only the second time we've met!... You probably don't know whose daughter your mother is, do you?"
Upon hearing the news about his mother, Mu Xiuli, Xia Mu's expression froze, and he immediately looked at Yan Tie in disbelief, his mind going blank.
Even the usually quiet Sonia couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Commander Yan Tie is Aunt Mu Xiuli's father?"
Yan Tie smiled and shook his head. Under their shocked gazes, he said, "I've watched Mu Xiuli grow up. She has to call me Uncle, so you should at least call me Great-Grandpa. Now you understand why I chose you, right?"
Xia Mu felt a surge of shock upon hearing Commander Yan Tie's words.
Although he wasn't her mother's father, he was still her mother's uncle. It was like Uncle Xia being her father's uncle—no, it was far more shocking.
After taking several deep breaths, Xia Mu finally calmed down and asked, "No wonder Mom kept asking me if I'd encountered any accidents during our phone call earlier. I was wondering how there could be any accidents... Now I understand."
Yan Tie looked at Xia Mu with a look of approval, "You're quick to accept it; your character is commendable."
"Thank you for telling me the truth. I always thought Mom and Dad's reasons for being together were too lame, and it turns out there's more to it than meets the eye. So, it's like a merchant's son seducing a government official's daughter, and then..." Xia Mu's words trailed off. It
sounded like a romance novel, worthy of being turned into a soap opera.
"I used to be against it, but once young people act impulsively, nothing you say will change their minds. Fortunately, things are fine now, and we have you... Before, because you didn't want to become a Pokémon Trainer, your mother protected you very well, so this old man didn't want to disturb your lives. But now it's different. You've shown me many amazing things, so I have to take you seriously." Yan Tie said earnestly, his expression growing increasingly serious.
"Is that all the reason?" Xia Mu asked.
Yan Tie shook his head: "Of course, it's not just that. As the Commander-in-Chief of Kanto, even if you're my grandson, I can't show favoritism. I know you've had some extraordinary encounters, just like some of the things you're doing now, I know all about them, especially that uniquely effective energy cube..."
Xia Mu was slightly taken aback, not surprised that Yan Tie knew these things.
"Did Mom tell you?"
"Not entirely. After all, I started investigating you as soon as you appeared in my sight. You should have a very powerful Pokémon on you, right? Would it be convenient for you to let this old man see it?" Yan Tie said, a sincere smile on his face.
Having gone this far, Xia Mu had no reason to refuse.
He was just shocked that Yan Tie knew about Mewtwo's existence. So, not everyone's memories had been altered.
He should have realized this sooner; even if Mewtwo's abilities were strong, it couldn't completely change everything that had already happened.
Once investigated, clues would be found.
Humans aren't all fools.
Just like Giovanni in the original story, and those Team Rocket executives, they eventually went to Mewtwo again.
Sonia, watching from the sidelines, sensed the tense atmosphere and her gaze darted nervously between Xia Mu and Yan Tie.
At this moment, she could do nothing and say nothing; she could only stand there silently.
"Come forth, Mewtwo," Xia Mu said, pulling out a Master Ball and summoning Mewtwo.
Yan Tie wanted to see, so Mewtwo didn't object.
With Mewtwo's appearance, Yan Tie's breathing became slightly heavier, his old eyes filled with shrewdness.
Mewtwo met Yan Tie's gaze without fear, and the atmosphere became exceptionally heavy.
"This is the Pokémon that changed the landscape of Kanto. It's truly extraordinary; its aura is comparable to that of the real gods I've ever seen." ...
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(End of Chapter)