"So what exactly is in that box?" Steven asked curiously while looking at the box in Phoebe's hands.
Chen Shi gave a mysterious smile.
"The two Orbs belonging to Groudon and Kyogre."
"They're treasures that the Mt. Pyre lineage has protected for generations."
"If those two Legendary Pokémon want to undergo Primal Reversion, these two Orbs are absolutely essential."
"These items were originally guarded by the Mt. Pyre lineage, but Maxie and Archie stole them to awaken Groudon and Kyogre."
"Then after Groudon and Kyogre were defeated, they handed the Orbs over to Rayquaza."
"And afterward, I asked Rayquaza for them."
After hearing the explanation, everyone finally understood.
Their gazes swept across the box in Phoebe's arms before quickly moving away again.
At that moment, Cynthia suddenly asked:
"So Team Magma and Team Aqua believed they could control those two Legendary Pokémon because they possessed these two Orbs?"
"That's right."
Chen Shi nodded slightly with a smile.
"Who knows where they got their information from? Somehow they became convinced that possessing the two Orbs meant they could control the Legendary Pokémon."
"I have to admit, that idea was pretty naïve."
"Well, I guess they brought disaster upon themselves," Leon said with a shrug.
After all, the moment Groudon and Kyogre awakened, they had escaped immediately.
Then the two Legendary Pokémon emerged shortly afterward.
Meanwhile, the members of Team Magma and Team Aqua were still trapped inside the hidden realm.
Even if they somehow survived the catastrophe inside, there were still countless League investigators waiting outside.
At this point, those two criminal organizations had absolutely nowhere left to run.
"You're right," Lance agreed with a slight nod.
Then, as though remembering something, he frowned.
"But this time, it's not just the criminal organizations trapped inside."
"There are also many League trainees who still haven't escaped."
"I wonder how they're doing…"
"Huh?"
Chen Shi froze briefly before hurriedly asking:
"There are still a lot of people trapped inside?"
Steven nodded.
"Yeah, Old Chen. Very few people managed to escape this time. Other than us and the people we rescued from Team Magma earlier, almost nobody else made it out."
Chen Shi's heart instantly sank.
Too many things had happened earlier, causing him to completely forget about this matter.
Only after Lance brought it up did Chen Shi suddenly remember—
There were still many League trainees trapped inside the hidden realm.
And among them…
…was Yuuko.
Chen Shi couldn't help becoming worried.
After all, the two of them had grown up together since childhood. He had always treated her like a younger sister.
Ever since her parents sacrificed themselves, Yuuko had lived an extremely difficult life.
Now that things had finally started improving for her…
Please don't let anything happen now.
Seemingly understanding what he was thinking, Cynthia softly comforted him:
"Don't worry."
"I heard that Drake has remained inside the hidden realm carrying out rescue operations the entire time."
"And after Groudon and Kyogre left, the League already dispatched a large number of rescue personnel into the hidden realm as well."
"It'll be alright."
Only after hearing that did Chen Shi's expression improve slightly.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming heavy, Steven quickly changed the topic.
"By the way, now that the hidden realm trial is obviously over, what are you all planning to do next?"
"Obviously continue arresting criminals and fighting evil!"
Lance answered immediately without hesitation.
No one found his decision surprising.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, everyone already understood that Lance possessed a strong sense of justice and was also a senior League investigator.
Now that the Hoenn incident was over, it made perfect sense for him to return to investigator missions immediately.
Lorelei replied calmly:
"I don't really have any plans. I'll probably just travel around and continue getting stronger."
Although she said it casually, Lorelei had already secretly decided to create a brutal training schedule for herself the moment she returned.
Being captured by Team Magma inside the hidden realm still bothered her deeply.
Leon thought for a moment before suddenly sighing.
"I'm heading back to Galar."
"I'll probably continue traveling everywhere every day, participating in all sorts of matches."
Chen Shi suddenly asked:
"Why do I feel like you don't sound very happy about that?"
Leon froze briefly before forcing out a smile.
"If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't be happy either."
"My life before this was basically nonstop traveling between cities and participating in endless battles every single day."
"Later, as my reputation grew bigger and I gained more fans, someone somehow started spreading the idea that I was Galar's future hope."
"The expectations everyone placed on me became like a giant mountain pressing down on my shoulders."
"It got to the point where I didn't even dare lose a single battle because I was afraid of disappointing everyone."
At this point, Leon looked around the room.
"To be honest…"
"The time I spent traveling with all of you has been the most relaxed period I've had in a very long time."
Chen Shi silently sighed inwardly.
No wonder.
Back during the World Championships, after Leon lost to Cynthia, he hadn't looked devastated at all.
Instead, he looked as though some invisible shackles had finally been removed from his body.
Steven leaned lazily against his chair and smiled.
"Actually, we're all pretty similar."
"For example, I'm the future heir of Devon Corporation."
"On the surface, it sounds glamorous, but who really understands the pressure behind it?"
The room instantly fell silent.
Everyone present was basically the same as Leon.
The greatest talent of the current Dragon Clan generation.
The once-in-a-century genius of Silver Academy.
Sinnoh's battle goddess.
Kalos' national idol.
Those titles gave them endless glory—
But also crushing pressure.
Only Chen Shi, Phoebe, and Caitlin looked completely unaffected, acting as casually as ever.
Seeing the atmosphere growing heavier and heavier, Chen Shi glanced at everyone before speaking:
"The truth is, you all just think too much."
"No… more accurately, you place too much pressure on yourselves."
"Life only lasts a few decades."
"You should live for yourselves."
"Do the things you enjoy."
"See magnificent scenery."
"Eat delicious food."
"Why care so much about what other people think?"
"Take me for example."
"My grandfather has always hoped I'd become the youngest Master-tier Breeder and elevate our family's potential potion formula to Master-tier."
"But my attitude is simple."
"If I can do it, then great—I'll try my best."
"And if I can't?"
"Then so be it."
At this point, Chen Shi paused briefly before shrugging with a smile.
"After all, generations of Chen family ancestors have worked on that potion for so long without reaching Master-tier."
"So if I can't do it either…"
"…isn't that perfectly normal?"
Everyone: "..."
That actually made way too much sense.
They genuinely couldn't argue against it.
Chen Shi smiled before rubbing Jirachi's tiny head.
"Honestly, if we're talking about titles and expectations, I probably have more than all of you."
"But do I look tired?"
"For me…"
"As long as I can stay together with my partners every day…"
"Play fun games."
"Eat delicious food."
"And live happily every single day…"
"…then I'm already completely satisfied."
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