Chapter 158: Lysandre: He Understands Me!

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Lysandre: He Understands Me!

Emma’s performance left Sora extremely satisfied.

She had concealed Malva’s appearance and worked seamlessly with him, helping cleanly wrap up every loose end.

It allowed Sora to see her potential.

She was worth cultivating.

"There goes Diantha."

"Can’t bear to see her leave?"

"Mmm..."

Emma shook her head lightly.

She knew Diantha was a good person, and she was grateful for everything the Champion had done.

But she also understood something clearly.

Diantha was the kind of person who cared about everyone.

Her kindness was shared equally among all Pokémon and people in need.

Compared to that—

Sora was someone worth following.

Following.

Emma no longer wanted to live a life where tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed.

Especially after this incident.

It made her realize even more how powerless she was.

She never wanted to lose Espurr again.

"Have you thought it through?"

Sora looked at her seriously.

"If you choose to follow me, you’ll probably run into plenty of trouble."

"If you’d rather live a quieter life, I can sponsor you."

"I can send you to school, or enroll you in a Pokémon Academy in Kalos."

"You could become a trainer in the future."

To Sora, money was no longer a concern.

With Princess Janie’s connections, many things had become remarkably easy.

"I want to follow you, Big Brother Sora!"

Emma had no interest in going somewhere far away.

She understood better than most the value of serving under a truly powerful person.

"Oh?"

"You’ve got good instincts for someone your age."

Sora found himself appreciating the girl more and more.

"Alright."

"You can stay with me for now."

"In the future, you’ll help manage my sanctuary whenever I’m away."

"I’ll work hard!"

Managing an entire facility would be a tremendous challenge.

Education alone would require countless hours of study.

But Emma wasn’t afraid of hard work.

The only thing she feared was failing to meet Sora’s expectations and being abandoned because of her own incompetence.

"No need to be so nervous."

"I believe you can do it."

Sora meant it.

He didn’t need Emma to become some extraordinary genius.

Compared to ability—

He valued loyalty far more.

During the remainder of the voyage, Sora officially added Emma to his permanent ticket privileges.

Technically, she still hadn’t spent any money.

But at least now she wasn’t a stowaway anymore.

The rest of the journey passed smoothly.

Nothing unexpected occurred.

There was, however, one small development.

After returning to the laboratory, Malva met with Lysandre and informed him about everything that had happened, including Sora’s proposal for cooperation.

"Is that so?"

Lysandre was surprised.

A trainer strong enough to defeat Malva so decisively was not someone encountered every day.

"What do you think?"

"Obviously we accept."

Rather than feeling threatened, Lysandre smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Why would I reject the support of a powerful ally?"

Even in his increasingly obsessive state, Lysandre remained intelligent.

He understood Sora’s intentions.

Letting Malva go.

Returning her communicator.

Concealing everything from Diantha.

Each action demonstrated that Sora wasn’t one of those hypocritical do-gooders.

"If he truly possesses that level of power, why would he waste time playing games with us?"

Sora had every opportunity to detain Malva.

Instead, he released her.

That alone made Lysandre feel indebted to him.

"Give me his contact information."

"I’d like to speak with him personally."

Thus began Sora’s first direct conversation with Lysandre.

Through their discussion, he also learned how far Team Flare’s plans had progressed.

"So it hasn’t started yet."

Sora secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as it’s still in the planning phase, there’s room to maneuver."

If Lysandre had already activated the Ultimate Weapon and transformed himself into something like AZ—

Sora would rather recruit him immediately and put him to work.

"I still have business in Galar."

Sora said,

"When I return to Kalos, we can arrange a proper meeting."

"Excellent."

"I look forward to it."

Lysandre was genuinely excited.

He felt as though he’d finally found a kindred spirit.

After their brief conversation, Sora had left him with one overwhelming impression.

He understands me.

"Wonderful."

"This is wonderful!"

After ending the call, Lysandre clenched his fist, visibly energized.

"Do you see, Malva?"

"There are still people in this world who share our ideals."

"That Lord Sora undoubtedly sees the truth of this world, just as I do."

"He understands the ugliness hidden within human nature."

"With his support, we will have nothing to fear."

Previously, Malva had been his only top-tier combat asset.

Every move required extreme caution.

Now things were different.

With Sora’s assistance—

What was Diantha supposed to do?

Challenge them?

"I still feel uneasy about this."

Malva couldn’t shake the feeling that Lysandre was being completely played by Sora.

"No."

"You’re mistaken."

Lysandre replied firmly.

"I can tell."

"He truly understands me."

If the distance weren’t so great, Lysandre might have rushed over immediately and spent the entire night talking with Sora.

Discussing every injustice he’d suffered over the years.

"Perhaps he’s someone like me."

"Someone who has been doubted."

"Someone who has been hurt."

The more Lysandre thought about it, the more convinced he became.

And the more eager he grew to meet Sora in person.

Malva opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Then closed it once more.

She honestly found Sora terrifying.

A few simple sentences.

That was all it had taken.

Less than three minutes.

And Lysandre was already treating Sora as a soulmate.

Who exactly is this guy?

Dangerous.

Far too dangerous.

For the first time, Malva felt genuine fear toward Sora.

Any thoughts she had about resisting his requests disappeared completely.

Looking back, she realized something even more alarming.

He had somehow earned Diantha’s trust too.

His ability to move effortlessly between both sides was downright terrifying.

While Malva continued suffering psychological damage, Sora and Emma finally reached their destination after four days and three nights at sea.

The port city of Hulbury in the Galar region.

"Whew. Finally."

"Viniii~"

"Poniii!"

"Dido!"

As soon as they disembarked, Sora stretched his body.

Victini, Ogerpon, and Magearna all cheered excitedly.

They were clearly looking forward to the next stage of their journey.

"Big Brother Sora, are we setting out immediately?"

"Or staying in Hulbury for the night?"

"We’ll rest first."

After spending so many days aboard a ship, everyone needed time to recover.

"Besides, I’m waiting for someone."

Because Diantha had left early, Sora’s original plans naturally required adjustment.

He decided to head for the Crown Tundra as soon as possible.

His first priority would be finding the secluded Freezington and completing the matter involving Calyrex.

Establishing contact with Lysandre and preparing to intervene in Team Flare’s future plans had placed considerable pressure on him.

Right now—

He desperately needed power.

Power sufficient to stand alongside Legendary Pokémon such as Xerneas and Yveltal.

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