The outcome of the battle had already been decided.
Gary had defeated Darach decisively, pulling off a clean one-versus-three victory.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
"That was truly wonderful. As expected of a Trainer capable of defeating Brandon," Caitlin said, applauding.
"Miss Caitlin, you're too kind. Darach isn't weak—I'm just stronger," Gary replied.
Caitlin was momentarily stunned.
She hadn't expected Gary to be quite so blunt.
Even if Gary genuinely had the strength to say it, a touch of modesty would have suited him better. She could only chalk it up to him still being young.
"Haha, you really are strong. When do you plan on entering the World Championships? There are plenty of powerful Trainers there," Caitlin said.
"That's right. The World Championships are full of great Trainers. Gary, shouldn't you consider signing up next year?" Cynthia asked.
Having watched Gary's match against Darach, Cynthia felt his current level had already outgrown what ordinary Trainers could offer him. The World Championships would be a far more fitting stage.
"I'll think about it, but not just yet. Let's give it another couple of years," Gary said.
In reality, he could enter the World Championships right now—he just didn't have a realistic shot at the title yet.
Gary preferred to wait a little longer before stepping onto that stage.
"Then, Gary, take your prize." Darach drew the Castle Symbol from his pocket and handed it over.
"Thank you."
Gary accepted the Castle Symbol.
[Ding! Mission completed. Rewards have been distributed to the storage backpack.]
"Miss Caitlin, Miss Cynthia, Mr. Darach—I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave."
Gary had no desire to linger now that he had the Symbol.
"Leaving already? Won't you stay and chat for a while?" Caitlin asked.
"Chat about what?"
Gary didn't see much worth discussing with these two women. Their identities were certainly impressive, but he had no intention of joining any League organization for the time being, which left little to talk about.
"About Team Galactic. Cynthia's been losing sleep over them," Caitlin suggested.
Cynthia was caught off guard, and privately thought Caitlin was overstepping a little. Still, she didn't object—Team Galactic really had been giving her a headache.
Cynthia knew Gary was Professor Oak's grandson and that he'd studied Pokémon himself, so she was willing to hear him out.
"What? The Sinnoh League still hasn't tracked down Team Galactic?" Gary asked.
Cynthia's expression turned grim. It was true—the Sinnoh League's handling of Team Galactic had been an embarrassment. The organization had practically walked all over them, and they still hadn't managed to lay a finger on them.
"Team Galactic is extremely cunning. Ever since they stole the orbs, they've vanished without a single move. We've combed through every city in the Sinnoh region and found nothing. The only thing we located was their base in Veilstone City—and it had already been cleared out," Cynthia said.
Team Galactic's headquarters had indeed been in Veilstone City, but once their plans were exposed, they'd naturally abandoned it and gone underground to pursue their scheme for a new world.
Gary knew Team Galactic was currently forging the Red Chain in an abandoned factory—he just didn't know where that factory was.
The only person with a real lead was Looker of the International Police. Unfortunately, by the time Looker reached the factory, a Team Galactic Executive had already captured him and thrown him in with the Rocket trio.
By the time Ash and the others rescued him, Team Galactic had already completed the Red Chain and left the factory.
To avoid clashing with the League directly, Team Galactic wouldn't capture the three lake guardians themselves. Instead, they'd entrust the job to Pokémon Hunter J, with Charon assisting.
The three lake guardians were far from weak. Without the petrifying guns, even Hunter J wouldn't have stood a chance against them.
"So Miss Cynthia is stuck because there are no leads to follow, right?" Gary said.
Cynthia didn't bother denying it and gave a small nod.
"Hunting for Team Galactic directly is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Rather than chasing after them, you'd be better off focusing on defense," Gary advised.
"Defend how? We don't even know what Team Galactic is after," Cynthia said.
"The Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb are tied to Dialga and Palkia, and the place most closely linked to those two is Mt. Coronet. I'm certain that's where Team Galactic's ultimate goal lies. You'd be better off stationing your main forces at Mt. Coronet," Gary said.
"That does make sense, but how would we ever find Team Galactic that way? What if they notice the League guarding Mt. Coronet and simply hold off on acting? There's no point in guarding against thieves who never show up," Caitlin countered.
Mt. Coronet had never been properly developed, and stationing personnel there long-term would drain enormous resources—with no telling when Team Galactic might actually strike.
"Defense is only the first step. Once that's in place, you can search at your leisure. Team Galactic is still somewhere in the Sinnoh region. Block their objective first, then narrow down your search over time.
"And it's not just Mt. Coronet. Lake Valor, Lake Acuity, and Lake Verity all need to be guarded too. I'm willing to bet Team Galactic will go after the Legendary Pokémon in the lakes first."
With that, Gary had essentially laid out Team Galactic's entire course of action.
Although he didn't want to interfere too much with the story, whether Cyrus succeeded in traveling to another world or not ultimately didn't matter—so long as Arceus was eventually soothed.
After all, Team Galactic's actions couldn't touch Arceus. Back when Ash was in Baiyang Town, he'd already formed a bond with the deities of time and space. When Arceus finally appeared, the Mythical Three Dragons would come to Ash's aid.
"What you're saying makes sense. My grandmother has already headed to Lake Acuity. I'll arrange for people to guard Lake Verity and Lake Valor as well," Cynthia said.
"That's everything I know. I'll be taking my leave now." Gary had said all he needed to. Whether Cynthia could snuff out Team Galactic's plans before they took root was entirely up to her.
Seeing Gary about to leave yet again, Caitlin huffed. "Hey! You're far too much of a blockhead. Whichever way you slice it, the two of us are beautiful women, and all you do is keep going on about leaving. You don't prefer men, do you?"
"Miss Caitlin, how old are you?" Gary asked.
"I... I'm twenty-seven. Why?" Caitlin felt a little self-conscious, though twenty-seven was hardly anything—at most she was a slightly older young woman.
"I'm only thirteen, turning fourteen in a few months. What exactly do you imagine could happen between us?" Gary asked.
Caitlin: ∑(O_O;)!
She truly hadn't thought about it until he spelled it out.
Now that Gary had pointed it out, Caitlin realized she was more than a full generation older than him.
Cynthia was older than Gary too. By the time he turned eighteen, both women would already be well into their thirties.
"You... are you saying you look down on me for being old?" Caitlin demanded angrily.
"Miss, please calm down," Darach interjected at once, stepping in to hold her back.