"Now that negotiations have failed, the Ellie Region might take some aggressive actions. When they make their move, it will be the best opportunity to identify and capture them," Professor Evergreen explained.
"But who can catch them?" Kalia asked. Distinguishing people from the Allen Continent and those from the local regions would be challenging, unless one could discern by accent like she could.
However, only Kalia and Julian were familiar with the Allen Continent's accents, making it difficult for just the two of them to apprehend these individuals effectively.
"Don't worry, I'll inform the League."
***
Subsequently, Kalia returned to Totem City, awaiting further developments.
Another half-month swiftly passed, drawing ever closer to the League Competition. Meanwhile, due to failed negotiations, the Ellie Region perceived that the Sebas Region had no intention of seeking peace and initiated their first offensive.
For the first time, the two regions entered a state of war. Fortunately, the initial conflict did not occur within cities but rather at a resource site outside the Sebas region.
Trainers from the Ellie Region began seizing resources in that area, indicating they had long planned this move. The Sebas Region promptly retaliated, and after the ensuing battle, they barely managed to repel the enemy, albeit with some losses.
The actions of the Ellie Region infuriated the Sebas Region, officially escalating the conflict between the two territories.
At the same time, in Rhine City:
Kalia was summoned by Professor Evergreen. With the Pokemon League now aware that individuals from the Allen Continent were orchestrating these incidents, they took action by assembling a small team of Trainers to secretly identify those responsible.
Unless these instigators were found, the conflict between the two regions would persist indefinitely. Only by capturing them could both the Ellie and Sebas Regions comprehend the gravity of the situation, leading them to cease hostilities and unite against the Allen Continent threat.
The League dispatched a total of four Trainers for this mission, including one Elite Four member and three powerful high-level Trainers.
With ongoing conflicts between regions, the available Trainers were limited. Most were stationed across various cities to bolster defenses; thus, mobilizing even a single Elite Four Trainer was quite challenging.
Naturally, the Elite Four trainer served as the team's captain - none other than Taro, the Dragon Elite, who already had some acquaintance with Kalia.
Taro himself had volunteered for this operation, initially planned with only four high-level Trainers. However, his curiosity about individuals from the Allen Continent and his desire to apprehend them led him to join the mission.
"Kalia, it's been a while," greeted Taro, acknowledging their prior familiarity upon seeing her arrival.
"Greetings, Elite Taro and Senior Trainers," Kalia politely responded. She was well-informed that Taro would lead the team, with her primary role being to locate individuals from the Allen Continent. The three high-level Trainers and Taro themselves would handle combat and capturing these intruders.
Taro sighed, "As Professor Evergreen explained, I never imagined there could be another continent in our world." This revelation highlighted the vastness beyond what they previously knew.
Many people believed that their regions encompassed everything, with the outside world being entirely oceanic. However, who could have imagined such a vast world, where beyond the seas lay another continent even larger than their known territories?
The group of five engaged in conversation, with Kalia sharing all the intelligence she had gathered and discussing plans with Taro and the others.
They decided to start by investigating the negotiation incident. The glasses-wearing young man present during those talks was the only individual from the Allen Continent they had seen firsthand. Finding him would provide crucial leads.
The negotiation had been arranged by one of the League's elders, but he was unaware of any issues regarding the glasses-wearing young man, as he had delegated the matter to others.
This oversight allowed the glasses-wearing youth to exploit the situation, using his persuasive skills to gain trust and participate in the negotiations.
However, to attend the negotiation, the glasses-wearing young man must have passed some form of identity verification, making it relatively easy to trace this aspect.
The identity used by the person from the Allen Continent would undoubtedly be false. After the failed negotiation, they likely fled, so while finding them directly through this method might be challenging, it could still yield significant clues.
"Our advantage is that they're unaware of their exposure. We mustn't alert them; otherwise, knowing they've been discovered, they'll surely hide even deeper," Taro cautioned.
The individuals from Allen Continent likely felt confident because no one knew of its existence, making it improbable for anyone to suspect them. Consequently, they might act more recklessly.
However, if they became aware of their exposure, the situation would change dramatically. They would undoubtedly go into hiding, making it significantly harder to apprehend them.
"Agreed," Kalia nodded.
"Taro, I'll stay close by and keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals. If I confirm someone as being from the Allen Continent, I'll let you know immediately." Taro looked at Kalia, realizing she was now the only one capable of identifying people from the Allen Continent.
"Understood." Kalia meticulously recalled the glasses-wearing young man's voice, engraving it firmly in her memory. With this distinctive accent, she wouldn't mistake it again.
"Great, let's move out then." As he spoke, Taro handed blue masks to everyone, aiming to prevent potential identification. After all, across the Sebas region, at least half of the Trainers had seen him due to his frequent public appearances.
With masks on, the group of five headed towards Jilo City. This city housed the Dragon-Type Gym, and according to their information, the glasses-wearing young man first appeared here. Later, with his persuasive skills, he was selected as the representative for negotiations.
Although they were certain he had already left, there must be clues remaining. Unaware that his identity was exposed, he likely wouldn't have been overly cautious.
The team arrived at Jilo City using Flying-type Pokémon. Kalia never imagined her first visit to Jilo City would not be for challenging the gym but rather to assist Elite Four Taro in tracking down someone from the Allen Continent.
As this mission was covert, the Pokemon League granted Taro significant authority, ensuring minimal resistance.
Upon reaching the streets of Jilo City, they learned that candidates for negotiation were selected from various regions. The glasses-wearing young man, having outperformed others, became the chosen representative—a process that undoubtedly drew attention.
Dividing their efforts, they inquired about the young man's name and discovered it was "Allen."
"Quite bold, using the same name as the Allen Continent," Taro chuckled, unsure if the individual feared exposure or if there was another reason behind it.
However, now that their target was hiding, the name itself wasn't crucial; the key was finding tangible leads.