Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

If there were no conflict or dispute of interest between him and Xia Yan, he might actually admire Xia Yan.

It's no wonder that veteran stars like Kikuko and Genji admire Natsuhiko.

Because they could all see a reflection of their past selves in Xia Yan.

That shadow struggling to survive.

pity.

The conflict between him and Xia Yan had long been irreconcilable.

Xia Yan stared at Hoshino Ryuichi, who looked calm and confident, with a somber expression, and his heart sank involuntarily.

He recognized the old man a long time ago.

When they arrived at the control room of the Tower of Time and Space, and saw his desert dragonfly and the cane in his hand, Xia Yan guessed his identity.

The reason it wasn't exposed.

It's because he's gambling.

He was betting that, given Hoshino Ryuichi's cautious nature, he wouldn't dare to openly reveal his identity in front of them.

He was hesitant to go all out against the gambling star Ye Longyi.

Give him time to awaken the gods of the three lakes.

As long as Xia Yan and the other two survive this incident and expose his affair with Team Galaxy, many things will not stand up to scrutiny.

The influence Xia Yan and his two companions have now far surpassed what they once had.

If Hoshino Ryuichi does anything even slightly dishonest, the resulting public opinion could potentially drag this old guy down from his position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

But now.

Ryuichi Hoshino acted without hesitation.

They no longer cared about their identity.

Ming had already made preparations to keep Xia Yan and the other two here permanently.

Afterwards, whether he blames it on the Galactic Team, the Time-Space Twin Dragons, or finds some other reason or excuse, it's all up to him.

Meeting Xia Yan's gaze without fear or hesitation.

Ryuichi Hoshino slowly narrowed his eyes.

His smile faded.

He said coldly, "Now I'll ask you one more time, did you kill Ryuzaki?"

His conflict with Xia Yan began with his grandson, who died at Xia Yan's hands in the secret realm.

Faced with his questioning.

Xia Yan grinned, but didn't answer. Instead, he said to himself, "Let me guess what conditions Team Galaxy agreed to."

Without pausing, he continued:

"First of all, since it involves Dialga, the god of time, and Palkia, the god of space, it's clear that your and Team Galactic's conditions also lie with them."

"Red Sun is unlikely to give you the Twin Dragons. The God of Space, Palkia, isn't very useful to you, so your target is probably the God of Time, Dialga."

"Chiri?!"

Cynthia's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly.

Xia Yan eventually revealed the identity of Akari, the leader of Team Galaxy.

However, this identity was also beyond her expectations.

First, Ryuichi Hoshino, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, got entangled with Team Ginga.

Secondly, there's Akari, the president of the Sinnoh Trading Company, a famous businessman, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, who is also the leader of Team Galactic!

This made the young Cynthia realize that Sinnoh was a very complex place.

"It seems your identity isn't as simple as it appears; you do know quite a bit." Hoshino Ryuichi's expression remained unchanged.

He did not deny Xia Yan's words, and there was no dispute that Ming Chi Ri was the leader of the Galaxy Team.

Xia Yan's smile widened.

He ignored Cynthia's surprise once again.

He also ignored the probing in Hoshino Ryuichi's words.

"Since you are the God of Time, you must be related to time. Given your personality, you would never risk your life for an insignificant grandson, so we can rule out the possibility that you want to resurrect Hoshino Ryuzaki."

Ryuichi Hoshino fell silent again.

But the danger in his eyes grew stronger.

"Given your self-interest-driven behavior, it's also possible that it's for some unrealistic thing like fulfilling a youthful dream, finding a youthful spirit, or a deceased lover."

Xia Yan adjusted his hat and pulled it down a little.

He let the brim of his hat cover his eyes.

"Then the rest are actually quite easy to guess; there are only two possibilities."

Raise one finger.

"Or, you've found a very powerful Pokémon. But that Pokémon is limited by its lifespan and is nearing the end of its life. You've made a deal with it to give it time, and it will become your Pokémon. In return, its strength will allow you to advance to the next level."

That's all.

Xia Yan shook his head to himself.

He clicked his tongue and said, "Unfortunately, in my opinion, even if you had such a Pokémon, you wouldn't use such a precious opportunity and ability on it. After all, it's a Pokémon that hasn't been trained with yet, and how much time do you have left to waste on it?"

The danger in Hoshino Ryuichi's eyes had become almost tangible.

If looks could kill.

Perhaps Xia Yan has already been torn to pieces by the ferocity in his eyes.

Seeing the change in his expression, Xia Yan not only showed no sign of restraint, but became even more excited.

The stronger his reaction, the more accurate Xia Yan's guess seemed to be.

Then Xia Yan raised his second finger.

But he quickly chuckled self-deprecatingly, waved his hand, and put his fingers away.

Looking at Hoshino Ryuichi, he said, word by word:

"So, your deal with Akari is already quite clear, right? You want Hoshino Ryuichi, the Heavenly King, to be young again?"

For a successful person who has one foot in the grave.

What they lack most is not money, power, or beautiful women.

Of course, these things are also very important.

But compared to time, it really is nothing but dirt.

time!

That is what he needs most right now, and what he urgently needs.

Coincidentally.

Dialga, the god of time, who has mastered the power of time.

They possess such abilities.

In return for time, Hoshino Ryuichi absolutely could not refuse.

Hoshino Ryuichi silently watched as Natsuhiko revealed his purpose.

It was revealed little by little, like peeling back layers of an onion.

The ferocity in his eyes had completely vanished.

His deep eyes held an unusual gleam.

Xia Yan shook his head, and continued with a "regretful" tone:

"Tsk tsk, but it's a pity. I think with your talent, even if you were given another ten, twenty, or even fifty years, you wouldn't be able to make any further progress."

Faced with Xia Yan's blatant contempt and provocation.

Hoshino Ryuichi, on the contrary, was no longer angry.

His already wrinkled face scrunched up even more, revealing an ugly smile.

"You really look so much like him."

He said this out of the blue.

But this made Xia Yan frown.

Who does he look like?

do not know.

"I've lived for so many years, I still have some self-control. If you're just trying to stall for time, I've given you plenty of opportunities."

Then, he had several Poké Balls in his hand.

Xia Yan's eyes twitched at the sight.

My whole body is tense.

He said he wasn't angry, but the way he acted didn't seem friendly at all.

"Regardless of whether you killed Ryuzaki or not, did you have any last words?"

Ryuichi Hoshino opened the Poké Balls in his hands one by one.

He wasn't afraid that Xia Yan would delay.

He had staked almost everything on this mission for the Galactic Team and had made thorough preparations.

This time.

Even when facing Kikuno's challenge for the Four Heavenly Kings position, he had never been this serious.