"You are Gu Yuan!?"
While Gu Yuan was still bewildered, a surprised voice rang out from behind him. Hearing the sound, he immediately turned to prepare for battle, only to realize it was his old acquaintance, Bavi.
"This is wonderful! You've returned safe and sound!"
"Where exactly did you go? How did you get back? Are you injured? Are your Pokémon doing okay?"
"Wait, wait, now is not the time for this. Follow me quickly!"
Watching Bavi fire off questions like a machine gun without giving him a chance to speak, Gu Yuan felt he could guess what was happening. However, what puzzled him was that he had only been missing for a day or two; was it necessary for Bavi to be this agitated?
Despite his confusion, Gu Yuan first recalled Charizard and the others into their Poké Balls and followed Bavi away from the area.
"What did you say?! I've been missing for an entire month!?"
On the way, Gu Yuan couldn't help but interrupt as he listened to Bavi's explanation.
"That's right. You were gone for a full month. If we hadn't found you today, the Kanto League truly would have declared war."
"Fortunately, you returned unharmed, so this war can be avoided."
Looking at the relieved Bavi, Gu Yuan fell into deep thought. Based on Bavi's account, he suspected that the place he entered truly was the alternate dimension mentioned by the Hoenn League. That mysterious power was likely something left behind by Arceus.
This explained why, after slumbering for a month, he didn't feel any hunger or weakness. Conversely, he felt energetic and had made significant progress in strength. Yet, Gu Yuan remained perplexed as to why he had received Arceus's gift. He knew very well that he wasn't Ash, so this couldn't be mere luck.
If that was the case, the only explanation was that Pokémon egg. Perhaps it was because of the egg that he and his Pokémon team, who were nearby, received the benefits.
Bavi didn't pay much attention to Gu Yuan's contemplation. He simply assumed that the time flow in the alternate dimension was different from reality, making it hard for Gu Yuan to adjust immediately. The priority now was to ensure Gu Yuan's safety and guarantee that the misunderstanding between the Kanto and Hoenn Leagues was resolved.
Bavi moved quickly, bringing Gu Yuan to a town in short order. The video conference commenced as scheduled, though it lacked much substantive content. It was primarily to confirm that the Gu Yuan before them was real and not an impostor from the Hoenn League. Afterward, to express their apologies, the Hoenn League provided the Kanto League with a vast amount of resources, and Gu Yuan received corresponding compensation as well.
"What is wrong with you, brat? Disappearing for an entire month!"
Once the meeting concluded, Gu Yuan received a call from Elite Four Agatha. As soon as the connection was made, her roar erupted.
"Please listen to me. I'm still a bit unclear on what happened myself, but this accident wasn't all bad for me."
Gu Yuan then gave Agatha a brief account of his experiences in the alternate dimension and his theories regarding the Pokémon egg.
"Your luck is truly extraordinary. Not only did your strength improve so much, but you also obtained a mysterious Pokémon."
"If things are as you say, the rarity of this Pokémon might be beyond your imagination," Agatha remarked with deep emotion after hearing the story.
"Are you saying...?"
"Exactly!"
"You should be very clear about Arceus's status in legend. Even a Pokémon indirectly created by him would be an extremely rare existence!"
"Combined with the environment at the time, I think you already have some suspicions."
"Of course, this is merely our speculation. The final result remains to be seen. Setting that aside, when do you plan to come back?"
After sharing her thoughts on the Pokémon, Agatha asked about Gu Yuan's return date.
"I plan to stay here for a while longer."
"Please listen. You know my abilities well; only successive major battles can allow me to grow quickly."
"The Hoenn region is about to move against Team Magma and the Hunter's Guild, so there will certainly be no shortage of combat. At the very least, I can battle wild Pokémon, right?"
Before Agatha could speak, Gu Yuan rushed to explain.
"Since you have made your choice, I won't interfere too much. I will only do my best to protect your safety."
"Most importantly, you are already outstanding enough. There is no need to force yourself to improve all the time."
After speaking, Agatha hung up the phone, appearing as if she wasn't used to such sentimental moments. However, Gu Yuan felt a deep sense of care.
He stepped out of his room to take a walk, but Bavi immediately followed him.
"You can rest easy now. The misunderstanding is resolved, war won't happen, and I'll look after my own safety. So, you don't need to follow me like this," Gu Yuan said with a trace of helplessness, turning to face Bavi.
"No, I must protect you personally," Bavi said firmly, shaking his head.
Sensing his determination, Gu Yuan sighed inwardly and switched to his second plan to deal with him.
"Are you sure?!"
"Then I want to ask you, who gave you the right to monitor me!?"
"I—"
"I what!? Have I committed some crime? For the Hoenn League to treat me this way, or are you saying that those of us from the Kanto region deserve such unfair treatment!?"
"I—"
"You don't need to explain. I will contact the Kanto League immediately. I want to see exactly what our Kanto League did wrong to be discriminated against by the Hoenn League."
"If a war breaks out in the end, the fault will lie entirely on your head!!"
Faced with Gu Yuan's consecutive interrogations, Bavi was momentarily unable to keep up with his logic and was left speechless.
"I understand. You may move freely, but you must stay safe. You can contact me if anything happens."
Seeing Gu Yuan preparing to dial the phone, Bavi didn't have time to think. He could only follow Gu Yuan's lead, planning to pacify him first before contacting headquarters to ask what to do. But before Bavi could finish speaking, Gu Yuan used Teleport to leave, giving Bavi no chance to catch up.
Seeing this, Bavi wanted to give chase, but he lost Gu Yuan's trail in the blink of an eye. He could only report the matter to the League headquarters as quickly as possible.
Gu Yuan didn't idle either. He immediately used his authority to contact the Hoenn League and inquire about the distribution of powerful wild Pokémon. Without hesitation, the Hoenn League provided him with the information he wanted, only advising him not to capture these wild Pokémon at will. In short, they simply wanted to prevent Gu Yuan from participating in the upcoming war.