Red immediately took out a pink orb from his bag.
"Eevee, absorb this."
As this happened, Eric was slightly surprised, but he quickly had the system scan Eevee's data.
The results showed numerous abnormalities.
A torrent of Psychic energy burst out from Eevee, enveloping the entire area around them.
The energy was so intense that Eric developed a headache despite not even being the target.
The system displayed erratic fluctuations in Eevee's stats as she evolved.
Soon, the evolution light faded.
---
Pokémon: Espeon
Gender: Female
Level: 35
Type: Psychic
Ability: Synchronize
Held Item: Soothe Bell
Potential: Quasi-Gold
Energy Grade:
Psychic: Grade 4 (Peak)
---
Peak Grade 4.
That was even higher than Haunter's.
"What intense psychic energy," Eric commented.
Red nodded.
"Eevee has suffered through a lot. She was experimented on by Team Rocket, which is why she's so abnormal. All that psychological stress... it looks like this is where it finally bore fruit."
Red's feelings were complicated. If it were up to him, he would gladly take away Eevee's pain, even if it meant she would never become this strong.
"Esp!"
Espeon stood before Red with affectionate eyes. The pain that had tormented her for so long had finally subsided, and it was all thanks to Red for saving her.
Red picked her up and gently patted her head.
"Are you feeling better now, Espeon?"
"...Y-yes..."
Red froze for a moment.
"Did you just use telepathy?"
Espeon nodded. She still needed time to get used to it before she could use it properly.
"That's great! I'm happy for you."
Afterward, Red and Eric eventually went their separate ways.
Their meeting had been brief, but it marked the beginning of their rivalry.
At least for Eric, Red was the first person in this world he truly considered a rival.
---
While Eric and Red were battling, a high-level conference was taking place amongst the representatives of the various regions under the league.
The air in the Kanto League's secure war room was thick with tension.
Unlike the Central League, which operated out of the heavily fortified Mt. Silver, this gathering was a Regional Summit. The massive circular table in the center of the room was empty, save for the three holographic projectors humming to life. Across the globe, similar projectors were activating, bridging the distance between the most powerful figures in the Pokémon world.
Agatha tapped her wooden cane impatiently against the marble floor. As Kanto currently had no Champion, the responsibility of leading the region's delegation fell to her. Standing to her right was Lance, the Dragon Master and Kanto's current top genius, who was recently promoted to the Elite Four. To her left stood Bruno, the strongest fighting-type trainer in all of Kanto.
The projectors flared. Pillars of light materialized into the holographic forms of the other regional leaders. Each region was permitted three representatives, led by their respective Champions.
For Hoenn, Juan stood at the forefront. He adjusted his impeccably tailored lapel, exuding an aura of elegant arrogance.
For Sinnoh, the stern and unyielding Bertha stood with her arms crossed, looking as immovable as the earth she commanded.
And then there was Johto. Having only recently split from Kanto's direct governance to form its own recognized League branch, some tension did exist between the two regions. But they still shared a harmonious relationship.
The reason for their split, after all, was not because of a dispute but because there were too many geniuses, but only a few top-level positions for them. With this split, the number of positions basically doubled.
"Always a pleasure to see Kanto's delegation," Juan mused, his voice dripping with fake politeness. "Though I must admit, it feels quite hollow looking at the highest throne in the world, only to see it lacking a crown. How much longer will Kanto parade around without a Champion, Agatha?"
Agatha's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. The temperature in the Kanto room noticeably dropped.
"Long enough to still crush you under my heel, Juan," Agatha snapped, her voice like grinding stones. "Kanto is the strongest region. A missing Champion changes nothing. If you think this is a moment of weakness, I invite you to test that theory."
Bertha scoffed from her projection. "Arrogance as usual, Kanto. You speak of strength, yet our intelligence suggests you are losing control of your own borders. The Black Zones are expanding. And need I remind you of the rampant Team Rocket infestations?"
"Team Rocket is a Kanto problem, handled by Kanto forces," Lance interjected smoothly, his draconian aura bleeding even through the holographic feed.
"Focus on your own region, Champion Bertha."
"My my, the youngsters today are quite arrogant. Barely an elite four yet having this kind of attitude towards a Champion..."
"That's enough," Agatha interjected, clearly annoyed.
The bickering continued. Thinly veiled threats were exchanged, treaties were leveraged, and the groundwork for future power struggles was laid bare.
Alongside that, some serious topics that concerned all the regions and the league as a whole were discussed as well.
After everything was discussed, the conversation then shifted towards the next generation.
When this topic was raised, Agatha's gaze flickered to a man sitting at a nearby table, surrounded by other Kanto elites.
It wasn't just the three people participating in the conference who were present. Other leaders of Kanto, like the rest of the Elite 4 or the heads of prestigious families, were also there - in hologram form, of course.
'Isn't one of those prodigies sitting right here?' She thought as she saw Seth Williams resting his head lazily on the table.
Agatha joined back in the conference.
"The generation is changing," she murmured, her voice sounding less like a warning and more like a prediction of chaos.
"Whether we guide them or they burn us down... that remains to be seen. But more importantly, 'they' have also started making their moves. Perhaps most of our attention is best spent there."
The conference quieted down at the mention of 'them'. Soon after, the meeting was adjourned, and Agatha joined the other Kanto elites.
"When they started talking about prodigies, I thought of you, Seth."
"Hahaha, I'm too old to be considered part of the next generation anymore..."
"Still not interested in taking a seat at the table? Who knows, you can even try for the Champion position in a few years."
Seth pushed himself off the table, his movements fluid and easy.
"The table is too small, Agatha. It doesn't hold enough room for people like me. I prefer the shadows where I can actually see the board."
"You're walking a thin line," she warned.
"I've always liked the edge," Seth said, his hologram fading, "It's a better view."
Agatha sighed as, on her left, Lance observed the departing Seth.
Having just become an Elite Four, he knew he wasn't Seth's match.
-------------------------------------------------
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