Chapter 156: This Leverage Is Mine for Life

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: This Leverage Is Mine for Life

"Big Brother Sora?"

Watching Malva disappear into the distance atop Talonflame, Emma looked utterly confused.

She couldn’t understand it.

Sora had clearly been capable of keeping Malva here.

So why let her go?

"Some things aren’t easy to explain."

Sora smiled at her and gently patted her head.

"You don’t need to hide anything, either."

"If Diantha asks, just tell her the truth."

"Huh?"

Emma blinked.

"I don’t need to keep it secret?"

"There’s no need."

Letting Malva leave hadn’t been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

While examining her communicator earlier, Sora had discovered quite a bit of useful information.

He had already copied everything onto his own device.

In other words—

He now possessed a portion of the evidence concerning this cruise ship and the vast smuggling network operating behind it.

If he handed that information over to Diantha and allowed her to handle it...

Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to bring down the major figures involved.

But the smuggling routes and markets they had spent years building would undoubtedly suffer a devastating blow.

At the very least, Pokémon trafficking within Kalos would become much quieter for a long time.

Compared to that, whether Malva stayed or left wasn’t particularly important.

"I understand."

Emma nodded obediently.

Holding Meowstic tightly in her arms, she watched Sora’s back and suddenly formed a bold idea.

She wanted to follow him.

Help him.

Whether it meant serving tea, carrying bags, becoming an apprentice, or simply running errands.

Emma wanted to become one of his followers.

Growing up in Lumiose City’s back alleys had sharpened her instincts.

She was an excellent judge of character.

In her eyes, Sora was definitely not the type of person willing to remain beneath others forever.

He appeared gentle.

Yet beneath that calm exterior lay meticulous plans for the future.

Even releasing Malva had been part of a larger calculation.

The world wasn’t simply black and white.

There were gray areas too.

Those gray areas were exactly where Emma had grown up.

Not yet.

Emma stroked Meowstic’s soft fur.

I need to prove my value first.

Meanwhile, far out over the sea—

"Damn it!"

Riding atop Talonflame, Malva repeatedly glanced back over her shoulder.

The cruise ship had long vanished from sight.

Yet the battle she’d just experienced still lingered in her mind.

"Who exactly is he?"

She sincerely wished she’d never come.

She had gained nothing.

Instead, she’d provoked someone like Sora.

Most importantly—

She couldn’t understand him.

She had no idea why he’d chosen to let her go.

And that uncertainty was what truly unsettled her.

Bzzzt.

Suddenly, the communicator she’d recovered from Sora began vibrating.

Looking down, she saw an unfamiliar number.

"Who is this?"

After only a moment’s hesitation, she accepted the call.

"Let’s talk."

The voice coming through the communicator caused her pupils to contract.

It was the same young man who had released her moments ago.

"What exactly do you want?"

"A threat?"

Malva’s voice turned cold.

"You think this incident gives you leverage over me?"

"I didn’t tell Diantha you were there."

That response once again threw her off balance.

She inhaled the cold night air and asked,

"What are you trying to say?"

"I want to cooperate with you."

"What?"

Malva froze.

There was a great deal hidden within that statement.

"You."

"Lysandre."

"And that ruler of Balfam."

"You’ve left me with quite a few interesting clues."

Sora continued,

"If I handed all of this over to Diantha, even people like you would find it troublesome, wouldn’t you?"

In many other regions, an investigation could cost Malva her position as an Elite Four member.

But this was Kalos.

Kalos League wasn’t exactly spotless.

Even if Diantha personally intervened, the most likely outcome would merely be questioning and scrutiny.

And that was only in theory.

The reality was that Lysandre and King Balfam weren’t allies.

This failed operation would inevitably create problems for Lysandre’s side.

And knowing Lysandre’s personality—

He would absolutely take responsibility himself rather than allow Malva to suffer consequences.

Despite being Team Flare’s leader and the main villain of Kalos’s story, Lysandre was fundamentally a genuinely kind person.

Ironically so.

Compared to him, Balfam was rotten to the core.

Malva had no doubt whatsoever that Balfam would happily throw both her and Lysandre under the bus to save himself.

It wouldn’t even be the first time.

"Hmph."

Malva stubbornly replied,

"So what?"

"What evidence ties any of this to me?"

"I can simply say I happened to be passing by."

What did Pokémon smuggling have to do with her?

She hadn’t participated in it.

At most, someone might accuse her of a bit of favoritism.

Nothing more.

As one of the Elite Four, she had no reason to fear that.

"What about Lysandre?"

Sora immediately struck her weak point.

"Do you want his plans to run into trouble?"

"You—!"

If it concerned only herself, Malva could endure it.

But like Diantha and many others, she hated causing problems for her friends and partners.

Threatening her personally wouldn’t accomplish much.

Threatening those around her?

That worked every time.

(Lysandre and Malva are not romantically involved. They’re simply friends and collaborators. Sora is exploiting Malva’s sense of responsibility.)

"Damn you!"

Malva trembled with frustration.

She desperately wanted to shout:

If you’ve got a problem, come after me directly!

Unfortunately—

Sora had never been particularly interested in showing villains any sense of fair play.

"Looks like you understand your position now."

He chuckled.

"So let’s discuss the first condition."

"Ugh..."

A deeply aggrieved sound escaped Malva’s throat.

She hated this.

Yet there was little she could do.

"First."

"From today onward, whenever I contact you, you will answer."

Sora spoke calmly.

"From time to time, I’ll ask you to handle certain matters."

"And you won’t refuse."

"Are you insane?!"

Malva was genuinely stunned by his shamelessness.

She suspected the man had completely lost his mind.

How could anyone say something like that with a straight face?

This tiny incident—

And he wanted to hold it over her forever?

Was he serious?

"Relax."

"Nothing excessive."

"Just small tasks within your capabilities."

Sora genuinely intended to recruit her.

If he planned to settle permanently in Kalos, he needed more influence within the region.

Malva was a member of the Elite Four.

Second only to the Champion.

The other Elite Four members offered no obvious openings.

Nor could he realistically turn them into subordinates.

But Malva?

That was different.

If she could work for Lysandre—

Why couldn’t she work for Sora instead?

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