Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

I told you that would be the end of it, but it still went and publicized Kona's legendary status, as if it was afraid of causing even more serious trouble!

"Ash, shall we move to another place and sit down to talk slowly?" Lorelei suggested with a smile.

"Okay." Xiao Zhi nodded, and waved to Xiao Lan to come over and help him collect the ball... and also to ask her to call Xiao Xia over.

If all three people are present at the same time, it's not surprising that they can recall more than a dozen Pokémon at once.

"Are you alright, Ash?!"

"Uh, are you alright...?"

After the two girls arrived, Blue immediately came to Ash's side with concern, only giving Lorelei a polite nod and greeting.

As for Xiaoxia, after discovering that Xiaozhi already had someone taking care of him, she hesitated for a moment and did not go forward.

But when she saw the person next to Xiaozhi, she was so surprised that she started stammering…

"K-K-K-Master?!"

This is understandable, as Xiaoxia, the daughter of the Cerulean Dojo, idolizes Lorelei, the female Elite Four member, the most.

Although Ash really wanted to point out that Lorelei's main strength is actually Ice-type...

Chapter Sixty-Five: The Four Heavenly Kings, the Four Corporate Slaves~

Having left the coast with Lorelei, Ash was exhausted and all he wanted to do was take a shower and rest, but his journey back to the city was proving to be incredibly difficult.

"Excuse me, trainer, what is your name?"

"Why did you take the initiative to attack? Aren't you afraid of that terrifying stinging jellyfish?"

Why did the monster jellyfish retreat? What were the reasons behind it? Will it return?

"You seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Miss Kona just now, so you must have known each other before... um!"

The reporter who asked the last question was startled by the reflection in Kona's glasses and immediately felt as if his throat had been choked, daring not to say another word.

Even so, Xiao Zhi was still surrounded by a barrage of cameras and microphones, making it difficult for him to even move forward.

Finally, it was Brock who arrived in time with Officer Jenny from Lampridge to maintain order, and they were able to safely enter the Pokémon Center...

"I really don't understand what they're trying to do."

After a short rest, the group met in the central reception room. Xiaoxia was still shaken by the 'big scene' she had just witnessed.

In her view, the reporters were swarming around her like the jellyfish that had invaded before…

No, they're not as cute as agate jellyfish!

"That's right, we didn't see this many people during the rescue. We don't know where they came from... But no matter what, I will protect Master Kona with my life!"

Xiao Gang initially scoffed and complained, but before he could even get serious, he started gushing over every little thing.

However, it was fortunate that he guided Lampritch's rescue team to arrive in time, which allowed them to successfully transfer the people in the tower before the giant Tentacruel could destroy the defensive barrier of Onix and other Pokémon.

Thinking about it that way, Xiao Zhi let him have his way.

Furthermore, in the original story, Brock will miss the chance to meet Lorelei because he leaves the group in the Orange Islands, so this can be seen as making up for that regret in advance...

Although Xiao Gang doesn't really have much to regret, after all, he still has Dr. Uchiki, who has an equally broad mind~

“That’s how journalists are; they’re always ready to dig up big stories, like… a megalodon that’s caught the scent of blood in the ocean?” Kona said, feigning a thoughtful innocence and offering a rather apt analogy.

"Just ignore these guys." Xiao Zhi didn't want to deal with this group of people, and he had no intention of letting them dig up news about him or put him under the stigma of public opinion.

He had made up his mind that, while the reporters were too intimidated by Kona, he would deal with the jellyfish swarm tonight and make sure that Xiao Lan and the others left immediately, so as not to give those guys any chance to take advantage of the situation!

"But... Master Kona, how are we going to wrap this up... It's all that Granny Jin's fault!" Xiaoxia asked hesitantly.

She was cautious in front of her idol, but she still bravely spoke her mind.

"The stinging jellyfish and those agate jellyfish, they're actually innocent..."

“Little girl, you seem to really like Water-type Pokémon, but I regret to inform you… they are not innocent,” Lorelei said noncommittally.

"Why…"

"From the moment they invaded the city, hurting people and destroying property, they were no longer innocent!" Xiao Lan immediately interrupted Xiao Xia. "You may be able to take your preferred stance, but that's not something the League would consider, and besides... Miss Lorelei won't be responsible for cleaning up the mess!"

“This young girl sees things very clearly.” Kona couldn’t help but look at Xiao Lan with newfound respect and nodded, saying, “This matter will be handled by the local municipal government; there’s no need for me to get involved personally.”

“Indeed, Miss Lorelei is very busy.” Ash understood this perfectly.

I can't speak for other alliances, but the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto never deal with such trivial matters, because they have too many things to take care of.

Kona, Shiba, Kikuko, and Lance... Although they are known as the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto, they are actually in charge of Johto as well.

The Johto region does not have its own Elite Four, and neither region has a champion. It can be said that these four people are the core leaders of the two regions!

However, the actual scope of the two regions is not limited to the mainland. The Seven Islands south of Kanto and the Orange Islands further away are also within the jurisdiction.

Given the situation in Kanto and Johto, the tasks that each of the Elite Four members, including Lorelei, has to handle are comparable to those of champions from other regions!

A comparison will make it clear that, apart from the two major regions, anyone in a high-ranking position has to have some side business, whether it's digging for stones or doing archaeology, or even making one movie after another.

But looking at the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto, let alone having side jobs, they can only take time off when they have free time to go on missions.

The only one with a second job, Ferry, is also an investigator in the Alliance—isn't that like having two jobs?

Kikuko, the Demon King, should have retired long ago, but because no successor can be found, she can only continue to toil away in the league...

If you calculate it that way, these four kings of Kanto are practically living like corporate slaves!

The same logic applies here. It was enough that Ke used her skills to scare away the giant stinging jellyfish. Asking her to put in the effort to clean up the mess now would be blatant exploitation of her employee.

But Ash still really wanted to know what happened to Granny Gold, and Lorelei obviously anticipated his thoughts.

“That old lady Jin, if she’s not a legal gun owner, possessing firearms would be a serious crime,” Kona said after thinking for a moment. “The Alliance will hand her over to the local police. It’s unclear how long she will be detained, but most of her property will be confiscated, and the city should also allocate a portion to compensate the victims.”

"Is that all...?" Xiaoxia could hardly believe her ears.

That wretched old woman was the one who caused this disaster, bringing pain to both humans and agate jellyfish, and all she got in the end was imprisonment and a fine?!

“That’s right.” Kona nodded, speaking very realistically, “How long she will be imprisoned depends on how much property can be seized and whether someone is pulling strings for her… The jellyfish caused serious damage to the port, but thanks to Ash’s efforts, there were actually not many casualties this time, and her actual guilt will be reduced accordingly.”

"Why? That was clearly his achievement, so why should the old woman's punishment be reduced? Besides, weren't those agate jellyfish casualties too?!" Xiaoxia was so agitated that she almost slammed her hand on the table.

Kona's conclusion, based on deductions from league law, can almost be considered a harbinger of future rulings.

However, Xia certainly wouldn't understand that right now.

She didn't have the same family background and experience as Xiaozhi and others, so naturally she wouldn't understand... The law looks at the facts, not human feelings!

The Pokémon League is a regional political system designed to protect the interests of the vast majority of people, not simply to uphold justice for Pokémon!

At this point, Xia, still very naive, wouldn't understand any of this.

As usual, she didn't care about the affairs of the dojo, so she couldn't understand why her three older sisters, who were obviously terrible at the game, could always hold the position of the head of the top dojo.

Fortunately, someone is now willing to protect her innocence...

Chapter Sixty-Six: Zhi Mouren's character is as stable as a rock.

“Little girl, I know you may find it hard to understand... but I’ve done everything I can to save those jellyfish.”

Since Lorelei was someone close to Ash, she couldn't be too pushy and patiently explained on her own.

"You saw those reporters with your own eyes before; they're all keeping an eye on what's going on. That old woman has local protection, and she might also have connections within the league. The more we dig into this, the bigger it will become."

"But...are we just going to let her get away with it?" Xiaoxia retorted urgently, "And what about those jellyfish..."

“Little girl, do you really not understand… If all the victims really start a collective protest, we won’t be able to ignore those jellyfish!” Kona was getting a little anxious as she put it.

As one of the Elite Four, Lorelei never had to deal with these trivial matters, but this time, since Ash was involved, she had to say a few more words.

A love for Pokémon is certainly commendable, but it depends on one's perspective. After all, Misty is first and foremost a human being and a member of the League!

However, just when Xiaoxia was almost in despair, Xiaozhi suddenly spoke up quietly...

"But... what if I insist that the Alliance thoroughly investigate this matter?!"

“Ash…” Misty’s eyes gradually lit up, while Blue rolled her eyes as if to say, “I knew it.”

Here we go again, protecting innocence~

"Investigate thoroughly?" Lorelei looked calmly at the boy before her. "Ash, are you serious?"

"I am!" Ash nodded resolutely. "No matter what, the matter of Granny Jin must be investigated to the end! I don't care if the mayor or the police chief is behind her, or even if there are high-ranking officials within the League protecting her, I will absolutely not tolerate this!!"

Granny Jin's matter is not so simple. Dealing with her will bring up a lot of other issues, affecting a wide range of areas, even leaving a huge pit in Yumachi Wharf and even Lampurchi... Ash knows all of this.

And once no one uses underhanded or even shady methods to silence the victims, they will become increasingly agitated with the help of reporters, and eventually even demand that the League punish the group of venomous jellyfish that cause harm... Xiao Zhi knows all of this.

Even so, he still insisted on investigating to the end!

It wasn't just for Xiaoxia's sake; he himself also disapproved of this kind of approach—covering up the truth in order to maintain stability!

Moreover, he is not afraid of making a big fuss, and he has a way to ensure the safety of the agate jellyfish afterwards.

Ever since he saw the giant jellyfish, Ash has been saying... he's here to save them!

"A very radical idea," Kona commented casually, with a hint of derision.

"Of course I can help convey your wishes, but if that happens, the alliance might actually have to take measures to forcibly suppress these harmful agate jellyfish... Is that really okay?"