Upon seeing the golden halo appear out of thin air and the little thieving hand reaching out from it, Stephen instantly knew—the target had shown up.
After all, this scene was almost identical to what Future Ash had experienced.
But seriously, couldn't you have picked a better ti to show up?
Do you even realize whose banquet this is? The number one criminal leader in your region!
Oh, wait. The League doesn't even know about Lysandre's identity, nor are they aware of Team Flare's existence.
Unlike Team Rocket or Team Shadow, who might as well tattoo "I'm a villain" on their foreheads, Team Flare operates far more covertly.
Plus, they've got Lysandre, the future Chairman of the Kalos League, and Malva, one of the Elite Four, as their cover.
It could be said that until Team Flare launched their plan, the Kalos League had no idea they even existed.
At this mont, the little thieving hand behind Lysandre had already taken a donut from the plate.
"Hm? Dr. Stephen, is there a problem?"
Noticing the strange look on Stephen's face, Lysandre frowned and asked.
By now, the little hand holding the donut, along with the golden ring, had disappeared. Stephen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly. "No, it's nothing... Hmm?!"
Just as he finished speaking, his expression changed again.
The golden ring had reappeared, and sure enough, in the next second, the little thieving hand reached out again, this ti aiming for the remaining donuts.
Stephen: ...
Seriously? Once wasn't enough?
Sitting next to Lysandre, Malva had already noticed sothing was off. Her expression shifted, and she pointed toward the dining table behind them, shouting:
"Lysandre, look!"
Lysandre turned his head just in ti to see the strange golden ring floating above the table. A non-human, stubby, little hand was busy grabbing donuts from the plate and tossing them into the ring.
Stephen quietly facepald.
This is your ss to clean up.
"What is that? Pyroar!"
Lysandre swung his arm, and his Pyroar, ever vigilant, leaped forward, extending its paw to swat at the little thieving hand.
However, the owner of the hand was far more cunning than expected. Sensing the danger, it imdiately dropped the donut it was holding and quickly retreated into the golden ring, which disappeared the next second.
"Stephen, that just now..."
Karen asked softly.
Stephen nodded, stood up, and said, "Mr. Lysandre, we're a bit tired today, so we'll take our leave now."
Lysandre, realizing sothing was amiss, replied, "Of course. I apologize for disturbing you today. Please, rest well, Dr. Stephen."
...
After leaving the hotel, Stephen released three Houndooms, squatted down, and placed a donut in front of them.
"Mary, Rose, Sina."
The three Houndooms sniffed the donut, then began searching the city for its scent.
"Stephen, was that the super genie we were looking for just now?"
Karen walked beside Stephen and asked.
Seeing him nod, Will couldn't help but complain. "Wasn't it just stealing donuts? Super Genie? That na feels so undeserved..."
"Enough. Let's focus on finding it first."
Stephen didn't bother explaining that Hoopa had two forms—or rather, there were two Hoopa.
The situation was urgent, and there was no ti to waste on such trivial explanations.
"By the way, Stephen, that Super Genie was seen by Lysandre earlier. Is that going to be a problem?"
Karen suddenly thought of another question.
"It shouldn't be an issue, right? We have legitimate reasons for being in Kalos. Besides, Stephen, you don't need to search on your own. Wouldn't it be faster to have Lysandre check the city's surveillance footage?"
Will offered his opinion.
As soone likely to beco the next Chairman of the Kalos League, Lysandre could pull so strings with Officer Jenny.
"The problem is, he's not a good guy."
Stephen rolled his eyes.
If Lysandre were as kindhearted as Goodshow, even if he saw Hoopa, it wouldn't matter.
But the issue is that guy is a criminal mastermind.
The consequences of discovering Hoopa's existence were too obvious to ignore.
As Stephen predicted, shortly after the trio left, Lysandre brought Malva to the Dehara City police station and t with the commissioner. At his request, Officer Jenny imdiately ordered the city's surveillance footage to be reviewed and enlisted the entire departnt to search for clues.
"It seems Dr. Stephen's purpose in coming to Kalos is that Pokémon we just saw," Lysandre said, crossing his arms and speaking in a deep voice.
"For a Pokémon that could make that man travel all this way, it must be extraordinary."
Malva said nothing, her hand resting on her hip as she stood silently beside him. Her gaze toward Lysandre betrayed a hint of admiration.
...
At the Dehara City observation deck, a girl in Middle Eastern-style clothing stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the mischievous Pokémon floating in mid-air before her.
"Hoopa! Stop stealing other people's things!"
The Pokémon, who introduced itself as Hoopa, looked teary-eyed and apologetic but still had a hint of defiance in its gaze.
"Hoopa is sorry..." it said, sniffling and apologizing.
The girl, dressed in white, sighed. She was about to say, "Return the items quickly, and I'll forgive you," but stopped herself.
It was because of her soft-heartedness that Hoopa kept repeating its mistakes.
As she hesitated, Hoopa suddenly pulled out half a donut and popped it into its mouth.
"Hoopa!"
The girl turned red with anger.
"ray, just hit Hoopa! As long as you're not mad, it's fine~" Hoopa said, turning around and sticking out its little behind as if offering it for punishnt.
Being able to eat so many donuts at the cost of a beating? Totally worth it.
ray didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"If anyone's going to hit you, it should be the person you stole from!"
A teasing but unfamiliar voice suddenly interrupted.
Both ray and Hoopa turned their heads to see Stephen and his group standing behind them, accompanied by three Houndooms.
In Stephen's hand was a donut.
"That's Hoopa's donut!" Hoopa exclaid.
Before it could say more, ray gave the troublemaker a flick to the forehead.
When did it beco yours!?
"I'm so sorry, sir. Please let know how many things Hoopa took from you; I'll compensate you fully...!"
ray began apologizing and bowing even before she got a good look at Stephen's face.
It was clear that she was already very accustod to such situations.
"No need to pay for it—after all, it's not my stuff anyway—but I do have a small favor I'd like Hoopa to help with."
Hearing Stephen directly call out Hoopa's na, ray looked up in surprise.
At that mont, she finally got a clear look at Stephen.
"You... you are... Dr. Stephen!?" ray exclaid in disbelief.
Although she lived in the isolated Arche Valley, that didn't an she was completely ignorant of the outside world.
Not to ntion, she would occasionally visit Dahara City to restock supplies. And after the commotion caused by the Indigo Plateau War, unless soone lived as secluded as Zamazenta and Zacian in the deep mountains, it was impossible not to know about him.
"You know ? That makes things easier. Can we have a chat?" Stephen asked kindly.
"Uh... sure, okay."
ray, who was about the sa age as a certain tree-loving professor, was a bit nervous encountering such an important figure as Stephen.
But compared to Peonia, who had scread and run away after seeing Stephen, she handled it much better.
"I'd like to ask Hoopa to help summon the eternal deity of the Kalos region, Xerneas. I want her assistance with so... research."
After sitting down, Stephen thought for a mont and decided to use "research" as his reason.
After all, that was the pretext he had used for coming to Kalos this ti.
As for why Stephen knew about Hoopa's existence, ray didn't think too much about it.
After all, soone as powerful as him knowing a few secrets wasn't exactly surprising.
What's more, the legendary battles involving Hoopa had occurred less than a century ago. It wasn't unusual for so records about them to have leaked.
ray hesitated for a mont, glancing at Hoopa, who was happily munching on the donut Stephen had just handed her. Then, she looked back at Stephen with so embarrassnt.
"Well... I would be happy to help you, Doctor, but this is a big deal, and I need to discuss it with my brother first. After all, he's Hoopa's guardian."
"Hmm, no problem. Can we go see your brother now?" Stephen asked.
Before ray could respond, a voice interrupted from the side:
"No need to trouble yourself, Doctor. Just tell where her brother lives, and I can have my people send a helicopter to pick him up."
It was Flare's leader, Lysandre, speaking.
For the second ti that day, Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Honestly, he had been trying to avoid drawing the attention of criminals to Hoopa, considering how useful her powers could be.
Stephen glanced at the tiny mischievous deity lying on the tea table with her belly full, looking completely oblivious to the trouble she had caused her master.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Stephen's gaze, the little Hoopa blinked innocently, her expression radiating clear and simple foolishness.
...
An hour later, a helicopter bearing the logo of Lysandre Labs landed in a canyon nestled within a cliffside, several dozen miles away from Dahara City.
This place was a stark contrast to the sandy, windswept desert outside. Verdant greenery and blooming flowers surrounded the area, making it reminiscent of Kanto's Pallet Town.
The most notable difference was the village's sparse population, which gave it a slightly desolate feel.
When the helicopter descended, the few villagers present all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at it.
Out stepped Malva, her long legs striding confidently as she crossed her arms and smiled lightly.
"Sorry for the intrusion, everyone. I'm Malva of the Kalos League's Elite Four. I'm here to see soone nad Baraz."
"The Kalos League's Elite Four? I'm Baraz. May I ask why you're looking for ?"
A youthful voice called out from behind Malva. She instinctively turned around.
What greeted her was a young man dressed in Middle Eastern-style clothing, similar to ray's. He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, roughly the sa age as Stephen.
When Baraz saw Malva turn toward him, he visibly hesitated, gulping nervously as his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Malva gave him a polite smile, clearly accustod to such reactions.
"I'm here on behalf of Mr. Lysandre. He asked to invite you to Dahara City. Oh, and by the way, it was your sister who told about this place."
"My sister? ray? What... what's going on?"
Malva lifted her long legs and stepped back onto the helicopter, patting the seat next to her.
"Co on up, and we'll discuss it on the way."
As Giovanni had once said, having a respectable identity often made things much easier.
If Malva didn't hold the title of Elite Four, Baraz would never have casually accepted an invitation from a stranger.
But in truth, even without her Elite Four status, Malva likely still could've easily gained soone's trust.
Especially if that soone was male.
And especially if that male was a teenager like Baraz, who had never experienced romance before.
As the helicopter took off again, Baraz sat beside Malva, listening intently as she explained the situation.
When he finally understood everything, he quickly bowed his head in apology.
"S-Sorry. Um... how many donuts did Hoopa eat? We'll compensate you for them."
His reaction was almost identical to ray's earlier.
However, in Baraz's case, he wouldn't have been so dramatic if not for the fact that he was nervous in Malva's presence.
"Ha-ha~ It's fine. Just so desserts—Mr. Lysandre can afford that. But I'd like to ask, what exactly is the deal with that Pokémon called Hoopa?"
Malva's alluring eyes, frad by her light red glasses, revealed a hint of curiosity.
As Lysandre had ntioned before, any Pokémon capable of drawing Stephen all the way from Alola during the Friendship Tournant must be extraordinary.
"This..."
Baraz hesitated.
Knowing how his great-grandfather had sealed and unsealed Hoopa, he was well aware of how terrifyingly powerful the Pokémon's abilities were.
For this reason, whenever travelers accidentally stumbled upon the Arche Valley, Baraz's priority was to have his sister hide Hoopa.
It was all to keep Hoopa's secrets from being exposed.
"Can't you tell ? I thought we were getting along quite well," Malva said, her expression shifting into a slightly disappointed, pitiful look.
"No, no, of course not! A hundred years ago, my great-grandfather..."
Seeing Malva's expression, Baraz felt his heart skip a beat. Before his brain could catch up to his mouth, he had already spilled all the secrets he had been keeping buried deep inside.
As soon as he finished, Baraz wished he could slap himself.
What is wrong with ?! Why did I say all that?!
After regretting his outburst, Baraz tried to console himself internally.
It's fine. It's fine. Miss Malva is a righteous Elite Four of the League. It's okay to tell her.
anwhile, Malva sat there in stunned silence, utterly dumbfounded.
Oh my god, that little glutton's abilities are that ridiculous?! No wonder Dr. Stephen wants her!
...
Another hour later, the helicopter landed on the helipad atop a hotel in Dahara City.
Under Malva's guidance, Baraz entered the hotel's banquet hall and reunited with his sister, ray.
"Hey~ Baraz, you're here!"
Hoopa waved at Barza, lying motionless on the dining table. She wasn't restrained—her belly was simply so full that she felt like any movent would make her throw up.
In the past two hours, she had eaten yet another al.
It was so satisfying!
"Mr. Baraz, I'd like to ask Hoopa..."
Stephen began to speak.
"Oh, Dr. Stephen, Miss Malva has already explained everything to . I have no objections, but I hope you can keep Hoopa's abilities a secret. I don't want this getting out to the public," Baraz replied.
Stephen was montarily stunned and pointed at Malva. "You... told her everything."
"Mm,"
Baraz said with a serious expression: "Miss Malva said that you wanted Xerneas to assist you in conducting research. Since it's sothing beneficial to the world, of course, I can't oppose it. However, I hope everyone here can keep this a secret. After all, if bad people learn about Hoopa's abilities, they might... no, they definitely will have malicious intentions."
Stephen: ...
He silently glanced at Lysandre and Malva.
Lysandre smiled and praised, "You can rest assured about this, Mr. Baraz."
Malva also gave a bright smile. "Such an upright young man. I wonder which lucky girl will end up with him in the future."
The originally serious Baraz imdiately turned red. "N-No, I-I don't have anyone I like. Hahaha..."
As he spoke, Baraz scratched his head awkwardly.
Stephen: ...
Unable to watch anymore, Stephen finally spoke again:
"Baraz, ray, have you heard about the incident in Slateport City in the Hoenn region three months ago?"
Baraz, who was still blushing, and ray, curious as if seeing their elder brother like this for the first ti, imdiately focused their attention on Stephen.
"More than three months ago, the Chairman of the Pokémon League, Goodshow, received information about the legendary Pokémon Eon siblings, Latios and Latias. He sent his grandson Tobias to capture them, but..."
Stephen quickly recounted the story of how Tobias tried to capture the dragon siblings but ended up being intercepted by Team Rocket.
"There was such a thing!?"
ray's already big eyes widened even further.
In her mind, the chairman of the Pokémon League was a lofty and unreachable figure, almost like a king.
But even his grandson's Pokémon were stolen? The audacity of Team Rocket, the largest criminal organization in Kanto, was beyond her imagination!
After recovering from his shock, Baraz couldn't help but ask: "Dr. Stephen, why are you telling this story?"
Not just Baraz and ray, but even Karen and Will were curious. It was their first ti seeing Stephen share so much with outsiders.
"Do you have the ability to protect Hoopa? If you encounter a situation like Tobias did, where soone tries to take Hoopa from you, do you have the strength to fight them off?"
Seeing Baraz's confusion, Stephen made his point clearer.
"This..."
Baraz was montarily at a loss for words.
ray also didn't know how to respond.
Even little Hoopa turned its head to look over, blinking twice. The topic was too complex for her to understand.
Baraz bit his lip and forced himself to respond:
"Our family has protected Hoopa for a hundred years and will continue to do so in the future. There won't be any problems. Besides, only those present here know Hoopa's secret. As long as no one here says anything, there won't be any issues."
Stephen was at a loss for words.
The problem is, among the people here, soone is the issue...
"Don't tell , Doctor, you're planning to take Hoopa for yourself!"
Just as Stephen was lanting the unpredictability of life, Baraz blurted out an accusation that left Stephen speechless.
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