Chapter 279: Title Unlocked – 'Stop Fighting, You Two!'
Meanwhile, in Kanto
At Slateport City's Hoenn TV studio, a live talk show was being broadcast.
The guest: Indigo League Champion Gary Oak.
The host: A well-known anchor from Hoenn TV.
"Everyone is curious—what exactly caused Groudon and Kyogre to fall back into slumber? Could you share any details?"
Gary hesitated for a moment. "I can't say much… but I can tell you that it has something to do with Rayquaza, the third ancient Pokémon of Hoenn's legends."
Hearing that she wouldn't be getting a major exclusive, the host looked slightly disappointed.
But she quickly pivoted to another question.
"Champion Gary, what was your mindset when you stepped in to stop Groudon?"
Hearing this, Gary's eyes lit up, and he immediately launched into a speech:
"As an International Police officer, it was my duty! My strength today is thanks to my grandfather, Professor Oak, who guided me from a young age. Of course, my own relentless efforts played a crucial role as well…"
Seeing how Gary, who had been slightly reserved earlier, suddenly started rambling on, the host was completely stunned.
It wasn't until the studio director frantically signaled her that she snapped out of it and quickly cut him off.
"Unfortunately, we're out of time. Thank you, Champion Gary, for joining us today and for your contributions to Hoenn's safety! Up next, we'll go live to our field reporter in Sootopolis City for firsthand coverage of the Groudon-Kyogre battle site!"
"Wait… this is Sootopolis?"
The host's eyes widened in shock at the near-total devastation on the screen.
Looking back at Gary—who had personally fought Groudon—her expression held newfound respect.
—
Leaving the studio, Gary still felt a bit regretful.
That was such a perfect opportunity for him to show off—why did they cut him off so soon?
He just hoped Ash and his grandfather had managed to catch his interview.
Arriving at the Pokémon Association's building—
Thanks to Asahi using the Red and Blue Orbs to suppress Groudon and Kyogre, the Association's headquarters, like the Hoenn TV studio, hadn't suffered too much damage. After some quick repairs, operations had resumed.
Pushing open the door to a conference room—
Asahi was lounging on the couch, casually applying sunscreen to Gardevoir's hands.
Green and Sabrina were whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at Zinnia, who was sulking in a corner.
As Gary stepped in, everyone turned to look at him.
"As Hoenn's hero, how was your big interview?" Asahi asked with a grin.
Though he was internally thrilled, Gary tried to play it cool. "It was fine."
But the way the corners of his mouth twitched upward betrayed his true feelings.
Asahi saw through him instantly.
"You sure looked like you were enjoying yourself…"
He casually picked up a remote and hit play on the TV.
The screen showed Gary confidently boasting:
"Though my grandfather is Professor Oak, my achievements are purely thanks to my own hard work…"
Gary froze, his face twisting in embarrassment.
Watching your own interview was a completely different experience from giving one.
Mortified, he lunged for the remote and shut the video off.
Asahi chuckled.
"Well then, how about becoming the official spokesperson for the Kanto Division?"
Gary hesitated.
Was this really just an opportunity… or was there a hidden trap?
After a moment of deliberation, though, the temptation won out.
"Fine! I'll do it!"
—
Lying back on the couch, Asahi closed his eyes and accessed his system.
A new title had been unlocked.
[Title Unlocked: 'Stop Fighting, You Two!']
Asahi: "…"
Did the system have to sound so sarcastic?
[Title Unlocked: 'Stop Fighting, You Two!']
Asahi: "…"
The system had a way of using the most serious tone to say the most mocking things.
Sure, he had stopped Groudon and Kyogre's battle single-handedly.
But the price was becoming their primary target. If he hadn't captured Rayquaza and obtained Dragon Ascent to trigger Mega Evolution… he would've been in serious trouble.
Whatever.
Too lazy to argue with the system, Asahi turned his attention to the reward options.
[Reward Selection]
1. Lustrous White Orb
2. Adamant Core
3. Lustrous Core
"…?"
Wait.
Hadn't he just defeated Hoenn's ancient Pokémon?
Why were all the rewards related to Sinnoh's legendary Pokémon?
Was this some kind of ripple effect from choosing the Red Chain earlier?
Though he complained, deep down, Asahi was quite satisfied with the options.
Previously, the green Orb had helped him capture Rayquaza. If these three Cores functioned the same way, could he possibly use them to tame Sinnoh's Creation Trio?
Too bad he couldn't take all three.
As Asahi hesitated over his choice, a knock came at the conference room door.
Steven entered.
—
Even though Groudon and Kyogre had returned to slumber, that didn't mean everything was completely settled.
"After interrogating the captured Team Magma and Team Aqua members, we've compiled a list of the remaining fugitives…"
Steven handed Asahi a file.
Taking a glance, Asahi saw that the list was quite long.
Two Team Magma Admins—Harlan and Tabitha—were still at large.
One Team Aqua Admin—Shelly—was also unaccounted for.
And as for the lower-ranked grunts? Their numbers were countless.
"This shouldn't be too much trouble for you, right?"
Honestly, Asahi was a bit puzzled by Steven showing him this.
While half of the original Admins had escaped, their organizations had already lost their leaders. With Groudon and Kyogre defeated, their beliefs shattered, these remnants wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble.
So why was Steven bringing this to him?
"Asahi, I have a favor to ask…" Steven said. "I want to transfer Archie and Maxie to the custody of the International Police."
It took Asahi a moment to process what he had just heard.
"You're saying… you want to hand over Archie and Maxie to me?"
He was genuinely surprised.
These were Archie and Maxie—the leaders of Hoenn's two biggest criminal organizations.
Not just some random small-time crooks.
Sure, he had been the one to capture them.
But for Steven to personally suggest transferring them to his custody…
Asahi couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
"Team Magma and Team Aqua have been deeply rooted in Hoenn for too long," Steven explained. "We won't be able to completely dismantle them overnight. I'm worried that if we keep Archie and Maxie in Hoenn, their underlings will find a way to break them out."
It was a simple and straightforward reason.
Honestly, if he could, Steven would have preferred to keep them in Hoenn for trial and imprisonment.
But with Hoenn still reeling from disaster, the League's primary focus was on reconstruction.
They simply didn't have the time or resources to deal with the remnants of Team Magma and Team Aqua.
Thinking about this, Steven felt a bit guilty—he was definitely burdening Asahi with this problem.
Which was exactly what Asahi had guessed.
After a brief moment of thought, he decided to take Steven's "trouble" off his hands.
For one, Kanto was his turf.
Even Team Rocket had been brought under control—he had zero fear of Team Magma or Team Aqua trying to stir up trouble in his domain.
Secondly, now that Steven had suggested it, Asahi found himself thinking that his underground prison felt a little empty with only Giovanni's former lieutenant—Midori and Masked army leader Pryce—locked up inside.
Collecting the heads of criminal organizations from all over the world and throwing them all into his underground cell…
That sounded pretty fun.
"Alright, leave it to me," Asahi said with a nod.
"I know this is a lot to—wait, you agreed?" Steven looked stunned.
He had fully expected Asahi to turn him down.
But Asahi had accepted so quickly that Steven now felt even guiltier.
Thinking for a moment, he hesitated before adding:
"Are you sure? Maybe you should reconsider?"
Asahi: "…?"
—