Chapter 221: Malva Recalls the Terror of Being Dominated by Sora

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Malva Recalls the Terror of Being Dominated by Sora

"Diantha has made another move."

In Kalos, at Diantha’s arrangements, the entire League began operating at high speed.

At the same time, Balfam, who had been thoroughly humiliated by Diantha, and Lysandre, the tycoon who controlled the economic lifeline of the League, both received the relevant intelligence.

What was Diantha trying to do?

Had she obtained new evidence?

However, the truth was completely different from what Balfam and the other senior officials had assumed.

Diantha’s request was simple.

She wanted to build momentum for a certain Trainer and, in the name of the Kalos League, formally issue a notice to Galar.

"What does this mean?"

Balfam looked at the information delivered by his subordinates, utterly confused by Diantha’s actions.

"It’s just for one Trainer. Is there really any need to mobilize the entire League’s public-relations machinery?"

"Sora?"

"This name... where have I heard it before?"

The incident aboard the St. Anne had mainly been handled by Diantha.

The Champion had taken all the heat herself, so very few people actually knew about Sora’s existence.

"Oh, right. Isn’t he the Trainer who was with Diantha aboard the St. Anne?"

Balfam remembered seeing the young man having dinner with Diantha back then.

"So this is the little boyfriend Diantha is supporting?"

The term little boyfriend sounded somewhat strange, considering Diantha was only a year or two older than Sora.

But when their identities were compared—

One was the Champion of the Kalos League, while the other was an obscure, ordinary Trainer.

It inevitably gave Balfam the impression of a wealthy woman keeping a pretty young boy.

"Should we use our connections to interfere with her?"

"No."

After thinking it over, Balfam gave his subordinates an order.

"If she wants to waste the League’s resources, let her."

Balfam couldn’t have been happier to see Diantha using League connections for a private relationship.

He even prayed that Sora would be capable enough to win Diantha over quickly.

If he could get her pregnant in one shot, even better.

After all, Diantha couldn’t possibly continue serving as Champion while carrying a huge belly, could she?

"Have you finally made your move?"

"What an astonishingly bold operation."

At the same time, inside Lysandre’s laboratory, the red-haired man with a wild, lion-like mane was studying the latest intelligence in his hands.

During this period, Lysandre had never stopped paying attention to Sora.

Unfortunately, Sora’s movements were simply too bizarre.

He had gone to Galar, yet instead of visiting its major cities, he had plunged straight into remote wilderness—even the frigid Crown Tundra, where a person could practically freeze to death.

Then, when he finally reappeared, it was in remote little towns like Motostoke and Turffield.

Lysandre had no idea what Sora was trying to accomplish.

He had been hoping Sora would return to Kalos soon so they could discuss how to make the world a better place.

And now, Lysandre was genuinely stunned by Sora’s grand gesture.

One man, declaring war on the entire Galar League.

As for the support from Sinnoh and Kalos?

Others might not know the truth, but how could Lysandre not?

With Sora’s strength—the same strength that had completely overwhelmed Malva—there was no way he was Cynthia’s vanguard.

Nor was he simply Diantha’s little boyfriend.

So Sora and Diantha have that kind of relationship?

Then what about Cynthia?

Fortunately, Lysandre had no interest whatsoever in Sora’s romantic affairs.

In fact, he hoped Sora wouldn’t bother with girlfriends at all.

A man should devote himself wholeheartedly to his work!

Women would only reduce the efficiency with which they rebuilt the perfect world!

"What happened?"

Malva pushed open the laboratory door.

She had been preparing for an important interview, but Lysandre had summoned her here.

"What is it this time? Do I have to clean up another mess?"

"Last time was just an accident, Malva."

Lysandre still felt guilty about what had happened aboard the St. Anne.

If Malva hadn’t been left with such an obvious weakness, he wouldn’t have felt so awkward about it.

"This time, I called you here because of this."

"Hm?"

Malva took the latest intelligence from Lysandre.

Because of the operation’s secrecy, only those who held real authority within the League could obtain this information so quickly.

Even Malva, one of the Elite Four, was only learning about Diantha’s plan now.

"Friendly exchanges with the Galar League?"

"Who would believe that?"

Malva continued reading.

Then, among the list of Trainers scheduled to participate in the battles, she saw the name that made her heart suddenly stop.

—Sora!

"Are you serious?!"

Malva’s eyes widened.

"Diantha is sending Sora to slap the Galar League in the face?"

After returning to Kalos, Malva had thoroughly investigated Sora.

She also knew that he was now an officially registered Trainer of Kalos, effectively making him a Kalosian.

"Do you think he’ll win?"

"Lysandre, are you seriously asking such a stupid question?"

Malva slammed the documents onto the table.

She had never forgotten that battle.

Ogerpon had defeated three of her Pokémon by itself, completely crushing the pride she possessed as an Elite Four member.

It had been trampled into the dirt.

Crushed.

Humiliated.

"Oh?"

Lysandre raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to have forgotten that Galar still has Leon. Is Sora really stronger than Leon?"

Lysandre actually didn’t know Sora’s true strength very well.

What he genuinely admired about Sora was the supposed sense of mutual understanding between them.

Well...

It was really a one-sided sense of mutual understanding.

Sora merely regarded Lysandre as a useful tool—something akin to a high-level Pal.

"You haven’t fought him. You wouldn’t understand what it feels like."

Malva had truly been beaten out of her confidence by Sora.

Whenever she imagined having to face that monster again, she felt a chill run down her spine.

This wasn’t a lack of confidence.

Nor had she lost the ambition of a Trainer.

It was simply the self-awareness that a strong person should possess.

At present, she had no right to challenge Sora.

She had only just managed to touch the threshold of the 80-level Hall of Fame realm.

To her, Sora was like an insurmountable mountain.

"I can’t even imagine how to deal with that guy."

Malva clenched her fists.

"As for his other Pokémon, I don’t know."

"But that Pokémon he calls Ogerpon..."

"Even if I sent out my entire team and fought her one after another..."

"Even if I had six Pokémon against one..."

"I still can’t see any possibility of winning."

During this period, Malva had repeatedly replayed that battle in her mind, desperately searching for a way to counter Ogerpon.

But no matter how many calculations she performed or how many tactics she adjusted—

The result was always the same.

She couldn’t win.

This wasn’t an exaggeration.

Malva could clearly sense that during their battle, Ogerpon hadn’t even used one-third of her true strength.

Her own limit was merely enough to touch the threshold of Ogerpon’s normal combat power.

Beyond that...

There was simply no chance.

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