Chapter 157: A Temporary Farewell with Diantha

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: A Temporary Farewell with Diantha

Malva wasn’t weak.

She stood among the very strongest trainers in Kalos.

As long as she didn’t encounter another Elite Four member of comparable strength—or Diantha herself—she could walk almost anywhere in Kalos without fear.

Just like this time.

When Lysandre ran into trouble, Malva had immediately come to mind.

If Sora hadn’t suddenly appeared, she would have cleaned up the entire situation flawlessly and never given Diantha even the slightest chance to intervene.

In this world, there is only a first time and countless times afterward.

Sora intended to make Malva gradually grow accustomed to his presence.

Bit by bit.

Until one day she would abandon Lysandre’s side and stand with him instead.

Some might argue that if she could betray Lysandre, she could betray Sora as well.

But things weren’t that simple.

First of all, Lysandre’s plan was destined to fail.

He wanted to use Zygarde’s power to reshape Kalos.

To eliminate evil people.

To bring peace and happiness to the region.

Malva supported him because she believed in the benefits that success would bring.

The problem was—

She didn’t know the true cost.

Once she realized how many innocent lives would be sacrificed, she would never accept it.

That was why, in the original story, she eventually turned against Team Flare and chose to stand with the protagonist.

"Damn it..."

Malva gritted her teeth.

In the end, she still agreed to Sora’s demands.

However, she laid down several conditions of her own.

He could never ask her to do anything evil.

And she retained the right to refuse any request she found unacceptable.

"If it goes against my beliefs, I won’t help you."

"That’s fine."

Sora had no objections.

What he wanted wasn’t obedience.

It was an attitude.

"Now for the second matter."

Sora said,

"I want you to help me contact Lysandre."

"What?"

Malva nearly shouted.

"Didn’t you promise not to cause trouble for our laboratory?"

Changing your mind already?

How was anyone supposed to trust him?

"Relax."

"I want to talk to Lysandre because I’m interested in cooperation."

"I doubt you’d reject the addition of a trainer capable of casually defeating an Elite Four member."

The words made Malva feel miserable.

Unfortunately—

Everything he said was true.

She couldn’t beat him.

One Pokémon.

That was all it had taken.

Her entire team had been swept aside.

"I’ll... tell Lysandre."

"But what happens after that—"

Before she could finish, Sora interrupted.

"Good."

"Then you’re no longer needed for this conversation."

"I’ll discuss the rest directly with Lysandre."

"You...!"

How could someone be like this?

She was one of Kalos’s Elite Four!

Did he seriously not intend to give her even the slightest bit of respect?

He was treating her like nothing more than a messenger.

"Anything else?"

"If not, I’m hanging up."

Without giving Malva a chance to unleash a string of curses, Sora ended the call.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Under the night sky, Malva nearly crushed her communicator.

"That bastard!"

"He’s infuriating!"

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Meanwhile, Sora was completely unconcerned with Malva’s furious outburst.

In his view, this entire incident had been an unexpected windfall.

I didn’t expect Lysandre to have started moving this early.

The Ultimate Weapon capable of devastating an entire region was far too dangerous to ignore.

Rather than allowing Lysandre to continue working in secret, Sora preferred to keep him where he could see him.

Based on what he knew about Lysandre, there was no way the man would reject a partner as powerful as Sora.

As for Lysandre himself—

Sora wanted to bring him onto his side as well.

Of course, that depended on Lysandre’s current state.

If he’d already become completely obsessed, then Sora would have no choice but to apply some forceful persuasion.

Lysandre isn’t evil by nature.

He simply took the wrong path.

People like that can still be saved.

And besides—

There were countless ways to improve Kalos.

Using the Ultimate Weapon wasn’t the only option.

More importantly, Lysandre was an influential businessman.

The resources under his control, combined with the authority of the Azoth Kingdom, would greatly accelerate Sora’s future plans.

And if I can get rid of that Balfam fool too...

Sora was confident he could eventually surpass the Kalos League itself.

From an unknown trainer to the true power behind Kalos.

To accomplish that goal, establishing contact with Lysandre sooner rather than later was essential.

And while he was at it—

He could begin reforming Team Flare as well.

"Sora, is all of this real?"

Diantha stared at the evidence Sora had provided regarding the Saint Valen.

The information had been carefully edited.

Anything that might implicate Lysandre or Malva had been removed.

All blame now pointed directly toward Balfam.

To be fair, that wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

Lysandre had invested in countless businesses and technological projects.

If someone misused one of them behind his back, there wasn’t much he could do.

This favor from Sora was something Lysandre would eventually have to repay.

"What do you plan to do?"

Sora asked.

He was curious how Diantha intended to deal with the Saint Valen.

"For now, we’ll remain patient."

Diantha replied,

"I’ll contact the International Police and have them take over the investigation."

They were in the middle of the ocean.

If the captain or first mate became desperate, the consequences could be disastrous.

The safest course of action was to secure the vessel first.

Then settle accounts afterward.

"Alright."

"I’ll help."

Thus, the two worked together.

They reassured the passengers while placing all immediate suspicion on the smugglers.

As for the captain—

The evidence had already been removed by Malva.

In his mind, he was safe.

Little did he know—

The smugglers were merely bait.

The true objective was dismantling the entire trafficking network.

At dawn the following morning, several vessels surrounded the cruise ship.

International Police officers from multiple regions boarded and seized control of the Saint Valen.

Everyone connected to the operation was arrested.

They would face questioning and investigation from various regional Leagues and receive the punishments they deserved.

Meanwhile, Diantha leveraged her influence within the Kalos League to pressure Balfam.

Forcing him to prove his innocence.

"Sorry, Sora."

Because of the sudden developments, Diantha had no choice but to return to Kalos.

She couldn’t even accompany him to Galar.

That very day, she boarded an International Police vessel and departed alongside the captured suspects.

"This is part of your duty as Champion."

Naturally, Sora didn’t blame her.

After all, he was counting on her to cause trouble for Balfam.

Even if the chances of taking him down completely were slim.

Any damage was still damage.

"Oh, right."

Sora rested a hand on Emma’s head and smiled.

"You don’t need to worry about her."

"She’ll travel with me to Galar."

"And after that, we’ll return to Kalos together."

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