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After exchanging a few brief words, the mysterious figure, under the tanned woman's furious glare, mounted the Toucannon and swiftly disappeared into the night sky. Before leaving, the mysterious person even shot a glance in Sato's direction.
That look made Sato extremely displeased. Yes, he hadn't seen wrong—that was a blatant look of threat.
Once the figure vanished, the woman jumped down with her Incineroar, and then, along with several burly dark-skinned men accompanied by Watchog, rushed into the berry store in a hurry.
Soon after, an Officer Jenny arrived on the scene riding an Arcanine, flanked by several League police officers with Growlithe by their side.
Since Sato was one of the people who had directly clashed with the assassin trainer, he naturally became the focus of Jenny's interrogation. But he had a clear conscience, and with a calm expression, he recounted the general course of events.
"That's basically all that happened. In short, I was just collateral damage in this mess. Anyway, I have other things to do, so I'll be taking my leave now, Officer Jenny."
Sato said with a hint of helplessness on his face. For some reason, this particular Officer Jenny seemed especially distrustful of him, a foreigner. Although she didn't voice it, her expression practically screamed "suspicious."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sato recalled Crobat and Pichu into their PokeBalls. Without bothering to wait for Jenny's response, he began walking away, weaving past the wide-eyed, awestruck onlookers.
Seeing that he was determined to leave, Officer Jenny had no choice but to give a helpless nod and signal her subordinates to let him pass.
Her professional instincts told her that Sato was far from being just some ordinary passerby. However, the facts were clear—he had done nothing wrong in this incident and had played the role of a victim.
More importantly, Sato was a powerful League affiliated trainer. She had no authority to detain a League trainer who had acted righteously.
"Excuse me, sir—please wait."
Before Sato had taken more than a few steps, a pleasant voice called out behind him. It belonged to Lusamine herself. She was now emerging from the berry shop with her daughter Lillie, surrounded by a group of bodyguards from Alola.
But upon hearing Lusamine's voice, Sato not only didn't stop—he actually sped up. In the blink of an eye, he melted into the crowd and vanished from sight.
Sigh… what a young, capable, and cautious trainer, Lusamine thought with regret, her expression tinged with disappointment. I suppose I'll have to repay him the next time we meet.
In truth, the position of Aether Foundation's president originally belonged to Lusamine's husband's father. After his passing, the title was inherited by her husband.
However, Lusamine's husband was entirely obsessed with researching Ultra Wormholes and had no interest in managing the Foundation. As a result, much of his authority was gradually stripped away by his subordinates.
At first, this wasn't a major issue. Even if his power was nominal, he still held half the shares of the Aether Foundation, and his deliberate choice to delegate authority meant the others treated him well.
But everything changed a year ago when Lusamine's husband vanished into an Ultra Wormhole.
Not long after, Lusamine stepped in to assume the role of Aether Foundation president. Deeply in love with her husband and desperate to find him, she sought to harness the Foundation's resources for her search.
Thus, once she took office, Lusamine began reclaiming control. She intended to use her authority to influence the Foundation's decisions and direct its efforts toward locating her missing husband.
Naturally, this move infuriated those who had previously held significant power. To put it bluntly, Lusamine was threatening their interests.
And so, an internal power struggle erupted within the Aether Foundation—one that Lusamine now found herself at the very heart of.
Ever since Lusamine began using her position as the largest shareholder to consolidate power, she and her children had been subjected to repeated assassination attempts.
At first, Lusamine struggled to adapt to this sudden danger. But she hailed from a noble family, and behind her stood one of the few prominent clans of Alola. She was the current clan head's daughter.
Leveraging her family's influence, Lusamine endured. Though she had to sacrifice a portion of her shares in the Aether Foundation, she gradually tightened her grip on its operations.
Now, Lusamine was the undisputed president of the Aether Foundation. However, those who had lost power weren't willing to back down—they still harbored hopes of making a comeback.
Her visit to Cinnabar Town had a simple purpose: seeking collaboration. She had heard rumors that a new type of spatial teleportation technology had been developed here, so she dispatched representatives to negotiate for usage rights.
Unfortunately, the negotiations had not gone well. The other party insisted on meeting her in person, citing the significance of the technology, before proceeding with any formal discussion.
Still, despite the poor progress, the trusted researcher she had sent reported that this new spatial technology might provide a breakthrough in the study of Ultra Wormholes.
Driven by the urgent need to find her husband, Lusamine chose to come in person.
However, word of her departure from Alola quickly reached the ears of her enemies. Including today, Lusamine had already survived five assassination attempts in Cinnabar Town.
Though she had spent a fortune hiring a competent near pseudo Elite-Four level trainer and numerous skilled Elite-level trainers for protection, her enemies weren't holding back either. Somehow, they had hired several near pseudo Elite-Four level trainers of their own to carry out the hits.
Fortunately, Lusamine herself was no pushover—she was a top-tier trainer. Additionally, local forces lent a hand out of respect for her status as a major client. Thus, she had managed to escape danger each time.
Just now, she had intended to thank and potentially recruit Sato. The fact that he, at such a young age, could fend off a near pseudo Elite-Four level Pokémon impressed her greatly.
As someone newly arrived in Kanto, Lusamine was unfamiliar with the region and had no foundation here. Being a woman, she knew the locals wouldn't grant her any respect. Even with wealth, she had to keep a low profile to avoid trouble.
Coming from an aristocratic background, Lusamine had a keen eye. She could tell that Sato, despite his impressive demeanor, wasn't from any influential family—he was a civilian trainer.
That made him a perfect target for recruitment. She was even willing to pay a high price.
Unfortunately, Sato was far more worldly and cautious than any young trainer she'd encountered before. He clearly had no intention of getting involved with her or the trouble that surrounded her.
Lusamine couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.