Chapter 212: You Think You Can Just Leave? What, Does Your Dad Run the League? (Power Stone Milestone Extra - )

Chapter 212: You Think You Can Just Leave? What, Does Your Dad Run the League? (Power Stone Milestone Extra Chapter)

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

The secretary pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a stack of documents nearly half as tall as she was.

"General Manager, these are the documents that require your review today."

Ruri fell silent for about two seconds.

Then she slowly turned her head toward Hoopa.

Hoopa floated half a meter backward under her stare.

"...Why are you looking at Hoopa like that?"

"Hoopa."

Ruri’s voice suddenly became incredibly gentle.

"Your rings can teleport people anywhere, right?"

"In theory... As long as Hoopa knows the destination or has seen what the place looks like."

"Then have you seen my dad?"

"Of course!"

Hoopa puffed out its chest.

"Uncle Steven comes over to Elaria’s dad’s place to mooch meals all the time. Hoopa knows him really well!"

"Then this’ll be easy."

Ruri walked around the desk and clasped her hands together.

"Hoopa, do me a favor—find my dad and teleport him back here."

"Easy!"

Hoopa rubbed its little hands together as a golden ring began forming in the air—

Then it suddenly stopped.

"Wait. Hoopa has seen Uncle Steven before, but Hoopa doesn’t know where he is right now!"

"That’s true."

Ruri rubbed her chin.

"Knowing my dad, he’s always crawling into caves that aren’t even marked on maps, and once he goes in, there’s no telling when he’ll come back out."

"Then what do we do?"

"Simple."

Ruri raised one finger.

"We go to League Headquarters and check his activity records. My dad might be unreliable, but he still holds the title of Hoenn Champion. The League should definitely have his latest whereabouts on record."

"But..."

Elaria pointed toward the newly delivered stack of documents on the desk.

"What about these?"

Ruri followed her finger and glanced at the stack.

Then she immediately looked away without the slightest hesitation.

"Ignore them. My dad does this all the time too."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Wallace]: That buck-passing was smooth as flowing water, and she came up with an excuse practically at teleportation speed. Confirmed. She definitely inherited this from Steven.

[Steven]: What do you mean, inherited?! I, Steven, have always been serious and responsible when it comes to my work. When have I ever dumped my responsibilities on someone else?

[Mr. Stone]: Steven, the less you say, the less embarrassing this becomes. I’m telling you right now, if my granddaughter learns bad habits from you too... No! Hurry up and send my granddaughter back here. I’ll raise her myself!

[Steven]: Dad, I’m not even married yet! Where am I supposed to get you a granddaughter?!

[Mr. Stone]: You’re the one who can’t get married. What’s that got to do with me? I only care about my granddaughter.

[Asher]: Mr. Stone is right. Steven, you’re not even as good as your parallel-world self. Then look at me. I don’t even need to say anything more. It’s all skill.

[Steven]: ...

[Raihan]: Hahahahahaha! I lose it every time Asher pops up just to screw Steven over. This is way too funny.

[Wallace]: This is what you call karma. Back when Steven kept getting in everyone’s face in the group chat, did he ever imagine this day would come?

[Volkner]: Asher’s inner thoughts: Every grievance of the past remains vivid in my mind. Today, at long last, I finally get my revenge. Truly refreshing.

[Leon]: Amazing. Didn’t know Volkner was such a man of culture.

[Volkner]: Just speaking from the heart.

The video continued playing.

World League Headquarters.

Main entrance.

A golden ring appeared out of thin air.

A moment later, Elaria and Ruri stepped out of it.

"So this is World League Headquarters? This is my first time here."

Ruri looked up and glanced around.

"The decor isn’t bad. It’s got more taste than my dad’s office."

"Ruri."

Elaria gently tugged on her sleeve.

"Since we came here to find Uncle Steven’s whereabouts, shouldn’t we ask at the front desk first?"

"The front desk won’t help."

Ruri planted her hands on her hips.

"Someone at my dad’s level would definitely have his whereabouts recorded by the Intelligence Department. At most, the front desk would transfer us over, then we’d have to wait for approval, and after that we’d still have to wait in line."

"Then what should we do?"

"Just go up there and look ourselves."

Ruri took Elaria by the hand and started walking toward the elevator.

"Dad told me the League’s Intelligence Department is on floors sixty-seven through sixty-nine. We’ll search them one floor at a time. If we can’t find anything there, we’ll look somewhere else."

And just like that, the two girls eventually made their way to the archive room on the top floor.

Ruri pushed open the door.

Behind it was an entire wall of computer terminals, along with several staff members who were busy organizing records.

"Hello."

Elaria gave the nearest staff member a small bow.

"Could you please help me look up Hoenn Champion Steven Stone’s recent activity records?"

The staff member was a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

He lowered his head and looked at the two little girls, neither of whom even came up to his chest.

There was obvious impatience in his voice.

"Kids, this is a restricted League archive area. How did you even get in here?"

"Through the main entrance."

Ruri answered without changing expression.

The bespectacled man clearly didn’t believe her.

But before he could ask anything else, the archive room door opened again.

Two security guards wearing League uniforms walked in.

The one in front looked at Elaria and Ruri, then at the man with glasses, and frowned.

"The surveillance room said two kids were wandering around up here. Was that you two?"

"We weren’t wandering around."

Ruri explained seriously.

"We just came here to look something up. Once we’re done, we’ll leave."

"Look something up?"

The security captain crossed his arms.

"This isn’t somewhere you kids are allowed to be. Come with me. We’ll sort this out once your parents get here."

Elaria tugged on Ruri’s sleeve and lowered her voice.

"Ruri, maybe we should leave for now. We’ll only cause trouble for everyone if we stay here."

"No rush."

Ruri patted the back of her hand.

Then she turned toward the security captain, her tone neither arrogant nor timid.

"Then let me ask you this—if we explain why we came here, will you let us leave?"

The security captain was so irritated by her question that he laughed.

"What do you think this place is? You think you can just leave whenever you feel like it? What, does your dad run the League?"

The moment those words left his mouth—

A set of unhurried footsteps came from the entrance to the archive room.

The security captain turned around.

The instant he saw the person approaching, his entire back snapped straight.

His hands pressed against the sides of his thighs, and even his chin tucked in at the textbook angle.

"Chairman."

"Mm."

Asher nodded.

"What are you doing?"

The security captain was just about to explain—

When a soft little voice came from behind Ruri.

"Daddy."

Elaria poked half her head out from behind Ruri.

Her voice was quiet.

But every single word came through perfectly clearly.

The entire archive room fell silent for about three seconds.

The security captain’s mouth opened.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

He looked exactly like a Magikarp that had been thrown onto dry land.

"Ruri."

Asher leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"What are you doing at League Headquarters? Where’s your dad?"

"That’s exactly why we came here."

Ruri sighed.

"We can’t find him. He went out to survey some mineral veins, but we don’t know where he is right now, so our only option was to come to the League and check his activity records."

"And then you got mistaken for suspicious intruders?"

Asher’s gaze shifted toward the security captain.

The man’s face had already turned dark red.

"Chairman, I-I didn’t know she was your daughter! I—"

"It’s fine. You were only doing your job."

Asher waved a hand.

Then he walked over to Elaria and crouched down in front of her.

He reached out and rubbed her hair.

"If you knew you weren’t familiar with this place, why didn’t you come find me first?"

"Because I didn’t want to bother Daddy."

Elaria obediently let him rub her hair, her voice soft and sweet.

"Sorry, Daddy. We caused trouble."

Asher waved his hand.

"This hardly counts as trouble. Just stop by my office later and pick up your Cultural Department Minister badge."

Ruri leaned closer and blinked.

"Um, Uncle Asher, do you know where my dad went?"

"Steven..."

Asher stood up and rubbed his forehead.

"After he came to my office and finished filing for leave, he ran off shouting something about, ’I’m Diancie’s dog!’ He should be in Avignon Town in Kalos right now."