Gladion's diplomatic journey through Sinnoh had finally come to an end. As Tropius waited outside the embassy with its leafy wings spread wide, Gladion stood near the balcony and looked over Jubilife City one last time.
The visit had turned out to be far more eventful than he had expected. It had begun with peace talks and trade agreements, only to spiral into assassination attempts, terrorist attacks, conspiracies, and even a battle against the sleeping titan Regigigas.
Yet despite everything that had happened, he could honestly say the trip had been a success. Looking back, he quietly thought, 'Not bad. I nearly died a couple of times, fought one of the strongest Legendary Pokémon in existence, made a few new enemies, and still completed every diplomatic objective. I suppose that counts as a productive business trip.' The thought made a small smile appear on his face.
There were, however, still a few regrets. Despite spending weeks in Sinnoh, he had failed to obtain several Pokémon he had hoped to add to his team.
A Garchomp had remained beyond his reach simply because no one could give him the location of a truly wild one. Cynthia had tried her best to help, asking Rangers, veteran trainers, and even archaeologists if they knew of an isolated Gible colony, but nobody could provide a reliable answer.
As for the region's three starter Pokémon, the problem had been completely different. Every time Gladion thought he had finally made up his mind, another argument convinced him otherwise.
Turtwig's incredible endurance appealed to him, Chimchar's offensive power was tempting, and Piplup's final evolution was equally impressive.
In the end he laughed at himself and admitted defeat. Choosing one meant giving up the other two, and for once he simply could not decide. 'I'll postpone the decision,' he thought. 'There is no point forcing myself to choose when I am still undecided.'
On the official side of things, though, the mission could hardly have gone better. The historic agreement between Indigo and Sinnoh had finally been signed. Soon the borders between both nations would officially open, ending decades of isolation.
Discussions had already begun regarding Sinnoh joining the wider League alliance, while negotiations with Hoenn were progressing steadily.
Gladion knew that once the next League season began, trainers would experience something completely new. They would be free to challenge tournaments in allied regions, travel without endless paperwork, and legally catch Pokémon beyond their own homeland.
Researchers would share discoveries more freely, merchants would expand into new markets. It was a future worth working toward, and he felt genuinely proud that he had played such a large role in making it possible.
Still, one disappointment remained in the back of his mind. He had searched libraries, ancient temples, forgotten ruins, and every historical record Cynthia could obtain, yet he had found absolutely nothing concrete regarding the lost Pokémon of Hisui.
The ancient forms described in scattered records seemed to have vanished completely from the modern world. Looking out toward the distant mountains, he sighed quietly. 'There is a real chance they all disappeared long ago,' he admitted to himself.
'If they truly became extinct, then searching forever will accomplish nothing.' His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. 'In that case, I may simply have to recreate them myself. Between modern genetics, evolutionary studies, and careful experimentation, there may still be a way to restore those ancient forms.'
The challenge only made him more interested. Impossible projects had always attracted him more than easy ones.
Instead of boarding one of the newly available passenger flights between Sinnoh and Indigo, Gladion chose a different method of travel. Tropius lowered itself outside the embassy, and both he and Sabrina climbed onto the large Grass type's back.
Moments later the enormous Pokémon rose into the sky with slow, powerful beats of its wings. The cool mountain air brushed against their faces as the buildings of Jubilife gradually disappeared beneath them.
Sabrina quietly looked toward the western horizon before noticing something unusual. The direction they were flying did not match the route back to Indigo. Tilting her head slightly, she finally asked, "Gladion, unless the geography of the continent suddenly changed overnight, I am fairly certain this is not the way back to Indigo."
Gladion chuckled without looking away from the horizon. "You are right," he admitted.
"We are making one more stop before returning home."
Sabrina raised an eyebrow curiously as he continued, "We are heading to Hoenn. More specifically, we are visiting Meteor Falls. There is someone there I have wanted to meet for quite some time."
Sabrina looked thoughtful before replying, "Meteor Falls... Are you talking about the people known as the Draconids? I always believed they were little more than myths or exaggerated stories told by wandering historians."
Gladion smiled knowingly. "Most people think that. They are very real. They simply prefer remaining hidden from the rest of the world. I already have a business agreement with them, and now it is time to complete their part of that arrangement."
Sabrina folded her arms as Tropius continued gliding through the clouds. "You always seem to know hidden things that nobody else has even heard of," she observed with quiet amusement.
Gladion laughed softly before explaining, "The village itself is concealed beneath Meteor Falls, and almost nobody knows the true entrance. Even so, everyone living in Hoenn knows that the surrounding territory belongs to the Draconid people. Ordinary trainers avoid the region because of an old agreement between the Draconids and the wild Salamence clan living there. Anyone entering without permission risks angering both." Sabrina nodded slowly as everything began making sense.
"So even though the village remains hidden, the surrounding territory acts as its shield." Gladion simply nodded. "Exactly. Sometimes keeping people away is more effective than hiding completely."
After several minutes of peaceful flight, Sabrina looked at him again. "You mentioned a business agreement. What exactly did you trade with them?"
Gladion rested one hand on Tropius's neck before answering. "Do you remember the Mega Evolution stone auction several months ago?" Sabrina nodded.
"Of course. Half the wealthy collectors in the world wanted those stones." Gladion grinned. "The Draconids wanted one even more. I sold them a Mega Stone that held tremendous value for their traditions. In return, they agreed to something much more valuable from my perspective."
Sabrina waited patiently for him to continue. "They promised me one Bagon from their protected clan," Gladion explained. "More importantly, they granted my company legal mining rights in the mountains surrounding Meteor Falls."
-----Author Notes------
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