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Eusine turned to Erika with curiosity. "Miss Erika, what brings you all the way to Johto? Isn't the Celadon Gym your responsibility?"
Erika shook her head with a gentle smile.
"Unfortunately, the Gym suffered a fire not long ago. It's currently under reconstruction. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to travel a bit and catch some new Grass-types."
"Ah, I see."
Eusine nodded, understanding. He then looked over at Kai.
But he didn't recognize him.
To him, Kai just seemed like some ordinary guy traveling with a Gym Leader.
Which wasn't that surprising. Eusine wasn't a full-time Pokémon Trainer; he spent most of his time chasing legends, especially Suicune. He rarely followed competitive battles or tournaments. While he'd definitely heard Kai's name mentioned during the Silver Conference, he'd never connected that to the man now standing in front of him.
After all, Kai was a Champion, but unlike the Elite Four, his fame wasn't quite as widespread. His face wasn't known to every Trainer.
Meanwhile, hearing Erika's identity casually revealed, Jimmy and Marina were stunned. Not only was Kai someone important, but even the beautiful woman traveling with him turned out to be a Gym Leader!
They both straightened up immediately, their respect evident.
Compared to the two fresh rookies, these three clearly carried serious clout.
Then Erika brought up the question everyone was wondering:
"Mr. Eusine, how did you know Raikou was here in the first place?"
"I just happened to be nearby," Eusine explained. "Last night, I ran into a Trainer who had just left this Center. From him, I heard the unbelievable news—that Raikou was here. I was shocked. I mean, a Legendary Beast like Raikou… you don't just find those. Wait—did you catch it?"
"Well…"
Marina was about to answer, but before she could, the hallway door swung open.
Officer Jenny stepped out, accompanied by a man with short blue hair.
The man stepped forward and answered for them.
"There's been a misunderstanding. Raikou wasn't captured by these Trainers. They rescued it from Team Rocket and brought it here for emergency treatment."
Everyone turned toward the unfamiliar man.
Kai and the others looked confused. They had no idea who he was, especially since he'd just come out from the restricted ward with Officer Jenny.
Eusine, however, seemed to recognize him instantly.
"Kudō!? I didn't expect to see you here!"
The blue-haired man smiled and offered his hand. "Long time no see, Eusine."
The two men shook hands warmly, clearly old acquaintances.
Kudō?
The name didn't ring any bells for Kai.
He studied the man closely. Nothing really stood out, just a plain-looking academic type, wearing a utility vest like an archaeologist or researcher.
Still, the fact that he'd come from the treatment room meant he was important.
Jimmy and Marina, clearly just as lost, turned to Officer Jenny.
"Officer Jenny… who exactly is Mr. Kudō?"
Jenny smiled. "He's a research specialist sent by Professor Elm. He's here to assist with Raikou's recovery and to collect some data."
"Professor Elm sent him?" Kai frowned.
"How did Elm even know we ran into Raikou?"
"That would be me!" Marina raised her hand sheepishly and stuck out her tongue. "I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't expect him to send someone over, though!"
Kai blinked, then nodded with understanding.
So after they had split up last night, Marina had contacted Professor Elm.
It made sense. She never intended to catch Raikou herself, and reporting rare Pokémon encounters to a regional Professor was common practice.
If Ash had discovered a Legendary during his travels, he would've done the same with Professor Oak.
Still… Kai couldn't shake the feeling that things were starting to spiral.
With so many people showing up, he couldn't help but worry that something might go wrong.
Fortunately, Kudō seemed to be here to help.
Eusine nodded approvingly. "Good. We should be cautious. This is Raikou, we're talking about a Legendary Pokémon of Johto. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands. And you know, Team Rocket, they won't give up after one failure. They'll come back."
"Don't worry," Officer Jenny said firmly, turning her gaze to Kai. "We've already received word from Interpol. They're sending an agent to deal with the Rocket base."
Kai's eyes sharpened. "Officer Jenny… do you know who they're sending?"
Before she could answer, the door behind them opened again.
A woman walked in, dressed in a sharp black suit, long gray hair tied into a sleek ponytail.
Kai's expression lit up with recognition.
"Anabel!?"
It was her Anabel of the Battle Tower.
Not only a top Interpol agent, but also a Frontier Brain from the Hoenn Battle Frontier. She'd fought alongside Kai once before, and now here she was again.
Beyond her combat skills, she was also Looker's superior and head of Interpol's UB Response Division.
A high-ranking agent, now standing right in front of him.
"Long time no see, Kai," she said with a warm smile. "Once again, you've done us a huge favor. Interpol thanks you deeply for your continued assistance."
She exchanged brief greetings with Officer Jenny, then turned to Erika.
"Erika? I didn't expect to see you here."
The two women had met before, during an earlier joint operation in Kanto.
"Good morning, Miss Anabel." Erika offered a polite bow. "It's lovely to see you again. You're looking well."
Kai was surprised Looker had sent her. But honestly? It was good news.
He'd worked with her before and trusted her.
After the pleasantries, Kai got straight to the point. "Miss Anabel, how many agents did you bring?"
She smiled confidently. "Don't worry. This time, we came fully prepared. I have everything I need to take down that Rocket research facility."
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