I caught a Pokémon

Xia You's origins are in the Carlos region, but he has no roots in Carlos, which basically eliminates the possibility of him being a person or organization from the Carlos region.

Who were those people he met during his travels?

Just as she was thinking this, Karuno suddenly realized something.

She picked up the communicator again, but this time, instead of using her connections in the film industry, she used her other identity—the Carlos champion.

After asking around, she quickly obtained some reliable information.

That is, behind this operation is not some conglomerate or organization, but the Pokémon League!

"At the Pokémon League headquarters, Vice President John directly intervened and ordered the matter to be handled, defining it as 'protecting the legitimate reputation of outstanding trainers in the league and combating malicious online defamation.'"

Pokémon League Headquarters!?

John, the vice president?

Karuno slowly put down the communicator, and in the mirror, her eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.

The Pokémon League Headquarters is a behemoth that transcends all regional leagues, serving as the core organization responsible for coordinating global Pokémon affairs, setting tournament rules, and protecting the rights of trainers.

Although Damalanqi has stepped down, the entire alliance is moving from a one-man show to a coordination of various functions. However, it is currently in a transition period, and there are as many as five or six vice presidents. Regardless of what department they are in charge of, as long as they are vice presidents, they are all big shots who can shake the whole world with a stomp of their feet.

Hollywood may be a place with money, but it can't compare to this kind of alliance.

It turns out the Pokémon League got involved in this.

No wonder I couldn't find any information using my connections in the film and television industry!

If that's the case, then everything makes sense.

Although it was somewhat shocking, upon reflection, the slogan the league was using was indeed quite accurate.

Strictly speaking, this incident was indeed the Pokémon League protecting the reputation of trainers. After all, Xia Youke had won four regional tournaments, and his image, in a sense, did represent the image of the League.

Xia You's image must remain positive, radiant, and impeccable. Any attempt to tarnish or damage this image will be seen by the alliance as an attack on its "strategic assets," and will be ruthlessly eliminated. Wu Tang's actions just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is why his carefully planned smear campaign was so easily defeated, and he didn't even know how he lost or who crushed him.

Having figured all this out, Karuno let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair, completely at ease.

No matter how much influence Wu Tang has in Hollywood, he can't extend his reach into the Pokémon League.

This matter was decided by a vice president, which surprised her somewhat.

It seems these people have also realized Xia You's immense value.

Having figured this out, Karuno felt a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

There was a sense of relief, a relief that Xia You would be safe and sound this time, and even a blessing in disguise, as her reputation would rise even higher.

There was surprise, and I was impressed by the alliance's large-scale and far-sighted move.

There was also a hint of... subtle distance.

She had always admired Xia You, attracted by his pure pursuit of power while maintaining his true self.

Prior to this, their interactions had always been relaxed and pleasant, allowing her to temporarily escape the spotlight of being a star and champion, and to communicate and interact with Xia You as an ordinary person.

But now it seems that Xia You has already unknowingly stepped into a broader and more complex stage.

He is no longer just a powerful individual trainer, but one of the "symbols" chosen by the vast machine of the League.

In this game, her own "scandal" with him seems to have become part of a story that can be exploited, guided, and shaped into a "good story."

To be honest, this feeling made her somewhat uncomfortable.

However, we are also keenly aware that this is the unavoidable reality of being in the spotlight and engaged in high-level power struggles.

"It seems my previous worries were unnecessary."

Karuno looked at herself in the mirror, shook her head slightly, and gave a self-deprecating smile.

But in any case, it's a win-win situation for her.

He has gained liberation.

Xia You won because she was safe and sound.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the huge iconic Pokémon Hollywood letters in the distance.

The world outside the film set remains noisy; paparazzi may still be lurking in some corner, and online discussions about her and Xia You continue, but the nature of these discussions has changed.

"The 'shield' behind you is stronger and...larger than I imagined. That idiot Wutang has really kicked a hornet's nest this time."

"That's good." She murmured to herself, her eyes regaining their firmness and brightness. "At least it proves that my judgment was correct. Someone who is valued so highly by the Alliance... Xia You, just how far can you go? It's getting more and more exciting."

As for Wutang?

Karuno's lips curled into a cold smile.

After this incident, the league may not openly do anything to him, but it will certainly impose many restrictions and warnings on him behind the scenes.

His days in Pokémon Hollywood, and even the entire Carlos business district, are unlikely to be as smooth sailing as before.

Of course, this can be considered as him reaping what he sowed.

Karuno thought for a moment, took out her phone, and sent Xia You a short message.

"How's it going? How did the gym battle go?"

-

For Xia You, everything was normal except for the photos from last night.

Except for the fact that he suddenly received a message from Karuno.

He really didn't expect that Karuno, such a busy person, would actually send him a message amidst her busy schedule.

I guess he just wanted to make sure he was okay.

After all, the rumors from last night and today will definitely have some impact on her, so it's normal for her to care.

With that in mind, he chatted with Karuno for a while.

However, before they could exchange more than a few words, there was no response from the other end, and Xia You understood this unusual situation perfectly.

After all, the other party is currently on the film set, and needless to say, they must have been called back to continue filming.

Just as I was about to put the phone back, a video call suddenly popped up on the screen.

Xia You didn't think much of it at first, just glanced at it casually, but when he saw who posted the video, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The person who posted the video was none other than one of his women—Xiaoyu!

In terms of time zone, it is daytime in Unova, while it is the first half of night in Johto, which is the time when the Enju sisters usually perform.

During this period, in order to concentrate on the performance, they generally do not contact themselves.

But why now...?

In an instant, Xia You thought of a possibility.

No way...

Even those of them back in Johto know that something that won't happen in Unova.

This isn't international news...

Besides, they're not actors.

and many more!

Stage actors... well, they're actors too, right?

Although their sub-circles differ, they all seem to belong to a larger circle, sharing the same world and surrounded by people working in the same field...

Did they really find out?

It's just a photo, it doesn't prove anything. Xiaoyu shouldn't be so intolerant, right?

But apart from this, he couldn't think of anything else that would make Xiaoyu contact him at this time.

Most importantly, even when sending videos, they would use the eldest sister Xiaojuan's phone, not Xiaoyu's.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a little guilty and hesitated to answer the call.

The video call kept ringing in his hands until the third time, when it seemed to realize he was busy and finally stopped ringing.

But Xia You's phone stopped ringing, while Zhu Lan's phone, in another city, suddenly rang.

Zhu Lan, who was leisurely sunbathing with Jia Deliya, was startled by the sudden video call from the phone.

When he took out his phone, he was naturally surprised to see that the person who initiated the video was Xiaoyu.

Despite her doubts, she didn't stop what she was doing and instinctively clicked to connect.

The moment the call connected, Xiaoyu's cold voice came from the other end, which greatly puzzled Zhulan.

"Zhu Lan, you really are a 'good older sister'! I asked you to look after Xia You, and this is how you look after her!?"

Bamboo Orchid: ! ?

Zhu Lan was taken aback at first, then quickly came to her senses: "Wh...what do you mean!?"

Chapter 1320 Even Zhu Lan was astonished

Zhu Lan was a little stunned by the barrage of questions, and the lazy and comfortable sunbathing atmosphere she had been enjoying instantly vanished.

She sat up straight instinctively, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing: "What do you mean? Xiaoyu, explain yourself clearly. What do you mean by 'good older sister'? What's wrong with Xia You? What happened?"

On the other end of the phone, Xiaoyu's voice remained icy, tinged with obvious anger. Even through the speakerphone, Gadria, standing nearby, could faintly hear the sharp tone: "Still playing dumb!? The internet is flooded with rumors about Xia You and that champion Carlos, Karuno! Photos, videos, exposés—it's all there! They had a secret rendezvous at a restaurant! They left Karuno's villa separately this morning! Now the whole internet is discussing whether they're a match made in heaven, a powerful alliance! You, as the eldest sister, are in the same region as him in United States, don't you know anything about it? Or do you know but simply ignore it!?"

"Wh...what!?"

Zhu Lan was completely stunned, and the sunscreen in her hand fell onto the recliner with a "thud".

Karuno?

Of course she knew who Karuno was.

She not only knew about it, she also knew it!

They were not only acquainted, but also had a close relationship. However, they were not close friends; they regarded each other as both friends and rivals.

But how did this person end up in Unova?

He was also rumored to be dating Xia You?

According to the current route, shouldn't Xia You be near Deer Town? How did she end up in Pokémon Hollywood?!

Moreover, after arriving in the United States, he was clearly keeping a close watch on Xia You.

Zhu Lan mentally counted the successes and failures. At least she had successfully prevented Xia You and Gadria from meeting in private, and also prevented him from contacting that supermodel and museum owner, Xiao Ju'er. How come, in the blink of an eye, another one, Karuno, has appeared?

And it sounds like the progress is much faster than the previous two, they've actually gone straight to "entering the inner chambers"!?

It was only through Xiaoyu's words that Zhulan learned what had happened.

A sense of absurdity and intense frustration welled up inside me, followed by a surge of anger.

This guy can actually go around having affairs with other women!

So surprised was Zhu Lan that she forgot to explain again that she had absolutely no relationship with Xia You.

Anyway, she's already used to it.

"I..." Zhu Lan hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I didn't know any of this. These past two days... I... I've been with Gadria, and I've been on guard..."

At this point, she realized that Cattleya was still standing there, so she couldn't be too blunt.

I can't exactly tell Cattleya that I was so focused on defending him and that little chrysanthemum that other things got into trouble, can I?

Then I, as the eldest sister, have really neglected my duty.

wrong!

I'm not the eldest sister!

Realizing this, Zhu Lan immediately felt a bit more resolute.

She wanted to tell Xiaoyu directly that she had no obligation to watch over Xia You, but before she could speak, Xiaoyu's voice came again.

"You didn't know?" Xiaoyu's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief. "You didn't know about something that's trending all over the internet? Zhulan, we trusted you, that's why we sent you over to keep an eye on him, not for you to go on vacation! Now look what's happened, Xia You and a big-name champion have made a huge scandal, what are we sisters going to do? Are we all just forced to become mistresses in the shadows?!"

Zhu Lan was speechless with anger and anxiety, her cheeks burning, whether from embarrassment or irritation, she couldn't tell.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.