Lily opened her mouth, but after seeing Agatha's expression, she swallowed her words back down.
After all, her strength alone was indeed not enough to qualify as a Gym Leader—let alone in a major city like Cerulean City. To a large extent, she owed her position to the reputation of her elder sister.
If not for that, with her current strength, even becoming a Gym Leader in a small town would have been difficult.
Feeling a sense of guilt, she lowered her head. In the previous situation, either of her sisters would have handled things much better, and Agatha, one of the Elite Four, wouldn't have needed to step in to save the day.
Yet something puzzled her—why was Agatha in Cerulean City?
Even if her strength was lacking, as the nominal Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym, she should have been informed if something serious was happening.
"Where's your leader? Where did they go?"
Agatha glared at the man bound by Gengar's shadowy tendrils, her voice sharp. She wasn't worried about him refusing to speak—Agatha's fearsome reputation came largely from dealing with stubborn, tight-lipped criminals like him.
"The basement! He's in the basement!" the man replied, his face pale with terror. He dared not hide a single detail, as if he'd confess the color of his underwear if asked.
Betrayal could be dealt with later—surviving came first. Besides, those who sent him never mentioned that one of the Elite Four would be here!
"I knew it. They're after that," Agatha sneered coldly.
"Where are Daisy and Violet?"
"They... went to check on Lapras and the others."
Agatha's eyes narrowed. How could she not realize they'd been lured away? It was a classic diversion—utterly foolish!
"It seems the League needs to tighten the Gym Leader selection process."
Lily didn't even dare to object.
Agatha released three more Gengar, and without needing further instruction, they merged into shadows and slipped into the basement, joining the fourth Gengar already on the move.
"This is a special potion. Spray it on her—she'll recover quickly."
Agatha handed a bottle of medicine to Maki, who was cradling his injured Mawile.
"Thank you."
Ignoring the pain in his chest, Maki sat up and carefully applied the potion to Mawile's wounds.
"I told you not to come out, didn't I?" he sighed.
Though the outcome had turned out fine—if he'd summoned Dragonite to protect himself, his cover would have been blown, and he'd have to face Agatha as an enemy—he still couldn't feel happy about it.
"Maw..." Mawile weakly smiled, believing she had succeeded in protecting Maki.
Daisy and Violet hurried back from the artificial lake beneath the Gym, shocked by the sight before them—not just the restrained man, but Agatha herself standing in their Gym without warning.
Daisy's heart skipped a beat. She knew Agatha's reputation well, having interacted with her due to her responsibilities as the eldest sister and Gym Leader. Agatha had little patience for Gym Leaders who neglected their duties.
"Are you alright, Misty?"
Daisy approached Misty and Maki, her voice full of concern—especially after noticing the weakened Mawile.
"I'm fine... but I owe it to Mr. Maki."
Misty glanced apologetically at Maki. She realized that if he'd abandoned her and fled, she might have had a slim chance to escape—since the attackers' real target was her, while Maki was likely just collateral damage.
"Thank you!"
Daisy sighed in relief before casting a grateful look at Maki.
"You should worry about yourself first. I've already dealt with the intruders in other areas. Come with me."
"Go... where?"
Daisy's confidence faltered under Agatha's gaze.
"The basement."
Her face paled.
"Their target is... How did they know about that?"
Daisy cut herself off, glancing at Maki. Some secrets couldn't be revealed so easily.
Maki noticed Misty's puzzled expression—she clearly knew nothing about it either.
It seems Cerulean Gym holds more secrets than I thought.
Maki narrowed his eyes. Unlike many other Gyms, Cerulean Gym was a legacy—passed down from their parents, just like Erika's Gym in Celadon City.
As for the previous Gym Leader's whereabouts...
Even Maki didn't know. Not even Team Rocket's intelligence network had uncovered that information—perhaps because the incident happened before Team Rocket's recent rise.
"You come with me. The others stay here."
In Agatha's eyes, only Daisy's strength was barely acceptable. Though she could probably handle things alone, this was Cerulean Gym's legacy—its guardians had a right to be involved.
"Violet, stay and take care of them. I'll go with Agatha."
Daisy's anxious expression made Violet nod in understanding.
"Even with the potion, better take Mawile to the Gym's medical facilities. You can use them freely."
Maki nodded.
"Thank you."
"No—today, it's us who should be thanking you."
Violet shook her head.
—
Beneath Cerulean Gym, in a hidden passage even Misty had never known about.
"The surveillance equipment is completely destroyed," Daisy observed, glancing at the barely noticeable holes in the stone ceiling. The League's most advanced tech had been installed here—now reduced to scrap by Pokémon moves.
"As long as the item is safe." Agatha's voice was calm and cold.
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