Pokémon, you're not allowed to expel me from human form!

"Normally, she wouldn't understand."

Ok?

Hearing Carmen say this, the assistant was even more puzzled.

Carmen knew he didn't understand, so she continued talking.

“Karen was lost, right? Logically speaking, she should have arrived in Eagle City by now. But judging from Ningya’s reaction, Karen probably didn’t go to Eagle City. She must have taken the Wave Stone to another place to make other preparations.”

"But sooner or later she will arrive in Eagle City, and then Ningya will know some things. The pressure we have put on her during this time will also help Ningya make a decision at that time."

"However, if we only apply pressure like this, it's hard to say what Ningya might think in her wild imagination, so let's release some more information to her."

"Guide her thinking a little, at least so that she can prepare herself mentally in advance."

Karen said this, and the assistant nodded in realization.

"Lady Carmen, what message should we release?"

"Well..."

Carmen tapped her chin with her finger, looking thoughtful, but soon a smile returned to her face.

However, compared to her usual gentle demeanor, this time her smile carried a hint of girlish mischief.

"Just spread the word that the reason the Ripple Gym is pressing forward is because someone here is eyeing Ningya's Elite Four position. Hmm... that's enough."

“The position of Heavenly King is very important, so Ning Ya will definitely not make a decision on a whim. Even if she is confident that she will not lose, she will still make some necessary arrangements and mental preparations.”

"Only then will she feel comfortable launching the war to replace the Heavenly King."

Carmen's assistant nodded.

“Alright, then, Lady Carmen, now that Ningya has launched the battle for the change of kings, shouldn’t we start taking action as well?”

The assistant frowned, pondering as he spoke.

"Should we sabotage all her preparations to disrupt her thinking, or should we strike first against the people around her?"

The assistant thought he was very smart and that it was perfectly reasonable for them to do these things given their circumstances.

What he didn't notice was that the veteran members who had been guarding Carmen for years were now looking at him, the newcomer, with increasingly cold eyes.

And in the first few days after taking office, the assistant saw Carmen with her eyes fully open for the first time.

He also understood why Carmen always had her eyes crooked.

This woman, known as the Saintess, appeared very gentle. Her left eye, just as everyone imagined, was a clear blue, as bright as the sky and even more translucent than a sapphire. It was incredibly beautiful and captivating.

And her right eye... was grayish-white.

Furthermore, her eyes were covered with blood-red lines like cracks, which was by no means a beautiful sight. Even on Carmen's face, it looked particularly ferocious and terrifying.

This eye won't grant Carmen any special abilities, and it's already blind.

But now, combined with Carmen's cold face and rising aura, her assistant was so frightened that she sat down on the ground.

Carmen then spoke in a completely emotionless voice.

"Now that I can take action, do I still need these underhanded methods?"

Because of her voice, Carmen's voice sounded soft and sweet, but combined with her expression and the actions of the people around her, the assistant was so frightened that she immediately began to beg for mercy.

Carmen ignored him and continued talking to herself.

"A person's bottom line always determines whether they are strong or weak."

"Regarding the Boss, although I don't agree with some of his views, he does some things right—we don't need weaklings."

"If you just lack ability, I will patiently teach you. Even if you lack talent, I will find a way to put you in a position that is more suitable for you. There are no completely useless people. Even if you lack talent, you are still worthy of respect if you are willing to work hard."

"If you're just greedy, then we can talk about the treatment. I never mistreat my subordinates."

"But you just happen to be bad, well... there's nothing I can do about it."

"Goodbye, Mr. Cass!"

Following Carmen's words, no matter how much Cass begged for mercy, he was still dragged out by Carmen's guards.

Carmen wasn't surprised by any of this. After watching him leave, she resumed her gentle, smiling demeanor with her eyes crinkled.

Her subordinates understood that the reason Carmen had brought Cass into her life and promoted him to assistant was because someone had discovered his situation, which was why Carmen kept him under her watch.

I didn't expect them to slip up so quickly.

They didn't care about Cass and his men; these subordinates only felt a pang of sadness when they saw Carmen squint her eyes once again.

Carmen was injured in this eye while saving her old subordinates.

Corrupted by a violent force, not only did she go blind, but this force also spread. When it reached Carmen's face, the ugly red lines would disfigure her.

Even so, Carmen never blamed them. After learning about the incident, she was only stunned for a moment before asking about their injuries.

The thought of it would make them grip their weapons tightly and vow to fight for Lady Carmen to the very end.

...

"The purpose of the Ripple Dojo is to push someone to challenge my position as the Elite Four member."

At the Grass and Tree Dojo, Ning Ya frowned, deep in thought.

First of all, it's a good thing that we understand the purpose of the Ripple Gym.

However, Ning Ya still made reasonable guesses about some of the details.

"Hmm, Karen is a little... childlike."

"So she's not the kind of person who would do something like that. It seems like it must be Carmen herself, or she's bringing a powerful trainer to challenge my Elite Four title."

"Given Kallen's intelligence, she might be manipulated into taking the blame for the trainer who challenged me. Ugh!"

The thought of Karen made Ningya feel that she was perfectly capable of doing something like being sold out and then helping the seller count the money.

So Ningya was no longer in a hurry.

She wanted to wait a little longer.

Just in case, she wanted to make some follow-up arrangements for the possible change of the throne.

Even if she doesn't think she'll lose, she still has to do these things because it's her responsibility.

Then...

"Whether it's waiting for Carmen to make her move again, or waiting for Kallen to come to my door with her people—in any case, I'll just do what they want and start the battle for the change of kings."

"But things may go as you wish here, but they won't be so smooth in other places."

"I don't know why you chose to challenge me, but I'm not so easy to deal with~"

......

16. Karen was corrupted (sad)

The arrangement Ningya described can be roughly divided into two parts.

First, it's preparation for the change of the Heavenly King; second... it's preparation for war!

Since her opponent is aiming for her throne, Ning Ya will naturally go all out.

In other places, Ningya would generally go all out by using her six main Pokémon, but this is Eagle City, and its rich history is far more complex than that.

So after discussing with her partners, Ningya decided not to use one of her main team members in this Elite Four change battle, but instead to find another Pokémon.

A Pokémon that has lived in Eagle City for generations, and which none of the Gym Leaders of the Grass and Wood City have ever registered in the Pokédex.

...

"What? Sister Ningya isn't here?"

"Hmm... the curator has gone out for now."

Karen stood at the entrance of the Grass and Tree Dojo, her eyes wide, unsure of what to say.

The staff at the Grass and Tree Dojo did recognize Karen, but because of Ningya's arrangement, she did not show any malice towards Karen. Instead, she focused her attention on Roco, who was following behind Karen.

He continued to explain.

"However, the curator should be back tomorrow. You two should rest for a while and come back tomorrow."

"...All right."

Hearing the staff say that, Karen had no choice but to accept it.

As for Luo Ke...

He had no problem with it.

Now that the Ripple Gym has moved to the opposite side of the Grass Gym, after he awakened Aura, he didn't even ask Karen, the former gym leader, about the Ripple Gym along the way.

If Karen hadn't looked like she was in a hurry, he wouldn't have gone straight to the Grass and Tree Gym on his first day in Eagle City.

He definitely wants to challenge the gyms, but how could someone think of challenging the gyms as soon as they arrive in Eagle City, a magical city with a unique culture and a long history?

Before arriving in Eagle City, Luo Ke had already planned his itinerary: first, to eat the most authentic local delicacies, and second, to learn about the local culture while visiting Eagle City's attractions.

He believed that anyone who came to Eagle City for the first time, after finding a place to stay, would do one of these two things first.

After all, this is Eagle City.

A world-renowned metropolis.

It ranks first in China for barbecue, and its cuisine is unique and distinctive.

Moreover, unlike the large cities Luo Ke had traveled through before, this city was clearly located in the middle of the Long Wind Grass Sea, but its location was actually a large forest with countless giant trees. The city and the forest were integrated and built together, and the city itself was even divided into several layers.

Luo Ke had only ever seen this kind of city in fantasy stories before. Now that fantasy has become reality, who wouldn't want to explore it more?

So, on the way away from the Grass and Tree Gym with Karen, Rocco looked at Karen, who was still sighing, took out his phone, scrolled through it, and then placed a page in front of her.

"Sighing won't do any good now, shall we go eat first?"

Hearing what Rocco said, Karen, who was still thinking about Carmen, suddenly felt a little hungry, and then her stomach rumbled.

This situation made her face turn red.

She clutched her stomach as she looked at the barbecue restaurant that Luo Ke had shown her, which had high online reviews, and nodded quickly.

"Okay, let's talk after we eat!"

Karen said this with a serious expression, as if eating was merely a form of replenishment.

But once they got to the restaurant, she was the one who enjoyed the meal the most.

While eating, you forget all your troubles.

On the contrary, Rocco, Victini, and the Fairy King's Sword all agreed that the store visit was a bit of a failure.

The taste is fine, and the style of combining barbecue and spices is unique, but it would be a bit problematic to call this barbecue the best in China.

At least from what Luo Ke and his group ate at, it didn't feel as good as some of the barbecue in Baping City. If they really wanted to taste the essence of Yingdu barbecue, they'd probably have to look around some more.

When they came out of the store, Karen's smile had returned.

But before she could say anything, Luo Ke held out his phone again.

"Eagle City Sacred Park, it is said that a lot of Eagle City's history is recorded here, and many buildings have been built to reflect this history. It also has a lot of cultural relics. In the evening, there are also some stage plays based on history. If we go there now, we can catch them. Why don't we go and take a look?"

Upon hearing Rocco's 'devilish whisper,' Karen swallowed hard, pursed her lips, and her eyes hardened.

"go with!"

...

By the time Rocco and Karen emerged from Eagle City Sacred Park, it was already dark.

It was only then that Karen realized they hadn't found a place to stay yet. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed that Roc was holding out his phone for the third time.

"I've already found a place to stay, a natural-style hotel with unique features of Eagle City. The breakfast and hot springs are highly praised."

"...I'll listen to you!"

In short, what should have been a day of anxiety and reflection for Karen was stolen away by Rocco without her even realizing it.

When Karen lay in bed and fell asleep, her face was filled with an incredibly happy smile.

As for Carmen...