After watching Ash leave, Celosia didn't linger in the park any longer.
The battle had left Drapion severely injured. In fact, its condition was so critical that it was hovering on the brink of death.
Drapion was one of the strongest Pokémon in her first-line combat team, and its importance to her was beyond question. Moreover, just as Ash had suspected earlier, she shared an exceptionally deep bond with Drapion.
Now that Drapion was gravely injured and fighting for its life, Celosia needed to get it back to Team Flare's underground secret base in Lumiose City as quickly as possible for treatment.
There was also the matter of her mission.
She had completely botched the assignment given to her by her representative. Not only had she failed to accomplish the objective, but completing it in the future would now be considerably more difficult.
She needed to report all of this to the organization and its boss immediately. She also had to relay the warning Ash had delivered before leaving.
Fortunately, Celosia had driven to the park. Her car was still parked just outside.
She quickly recalled the injured Drapion into its Poké Ball, hurried out of the park, and jumped into her vehicle.
With a sharp press of the accelerator, she sped toward Team Flare's underground base in Lumiose City.
"Executive Celosia!"
As soon as she returned to the base, a Team Flare member stationed at the entrance greeted her with an ingratiating smile.
However, Celosia was in a terrible mood. She shot him an irritated glare and didn't even bother responding, heading straight for the base's medical treatment room.
"My Drapion has suffered serious injuries. Hurry up and treat it!"
After arriving in the treatment room, Celosia released Drapion and placed it before the medical staff.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Seeing Drapion lying on the examination table, its entire body charred black and covered in severe burns, the medical personnel immediately sprang into action. Not daring to waste a moment, they began treating its injuries.
"My Drapion had better be all right. You know exactly what will happen if anything goes wrong!"
After delivering a threatening warning, Celosia turned and left the treatment room.
She was well aware of Team Flare's biotechnology capabilities. As long as Drapion hadn't drawn its last breath, the medical personnel should be able to save it.
What she truly needed to worry about now was the mission—and, more importantly, how she was going to report everything concerning Ash to her representative.
She had taken matters into her own hands and ruined the assignment she had been entrusted with. She had no idea what kind of punishment awaited her.
Sigh... Concealing the truth from the representative is a serious offense within the organization. I've already failed the mission. Even if I'm going to be punished, I can only report everything honestly.
With that thought weighing on her mind, Celosia returned to the break room, took out a communication device, and contacted Team Flare headquarters.
"Celosia, how is the mission progressing on your end? Have you still not battled that brat's Mega-Evolving Pidgeot? Why hasn't the Mega Evolution Wave energy generated by its Mega Evolution been transmitted back to headquarters through the equipment?"
As soon as the connection was established, a holographic projection appeared in the air before Celosia.
The person on the other end was a Team Flare member with an extremely round, plump figure. He wore small red-framed glasses, and his hair was dyed a vivid red to match the glossy red uniform worn by Team Flare.
With his appearance, he looked almost like a red pig.
"Dr. Xerosic, something went wrong with the mission. Is the representative available? I have some important information I need to report to him."
"Something went wrong? That's a rather pleasant way of putting it. I think you simply messed things up and failed to complete the mission, didn't you?"
Xerosic, Team Flare's brilliant scientist and the organization's second-in-command after its boss, Lysandre, showed no hesitation in mocking Celosia.
After all, she was an executive known for her arrogance and pride, and Xerosic clearly had no intention of sparing her feelings.
"Khh..."
Hearing the words of Team Flare's genius scientist, Celosia's expression darkened. Her fingers clenched so tightly that her knuckles cracked.
Yet, despite her anger, she couldn't find a single word to refute him.
Fortunately, Xerosic didn't continue provoking her. Instead, he used his headset to inform Lysandre, who was currently inspecting the laboratory, about the situation.
After delivering his report, he turned away and went back to his own research.
Not long afterward, the sound of leather shoes approaching grew louder.
Lysandre soon appeared in the communication device's field of view.
As the supreme director and boss of Team Flare, Lysandre was a tall, imposing man with deep-set eyes. His orange-red hair and thick beard spread around his face like a lion's mane, giving him an exceptionally majestic and intimidating appearance.
Although what appeared before Celosia was only a holographic projection, the overwhelming authority, commanding presence, and cold intensity radiating from him were still enough to make even the proud and headstrong woman instinctively lower her head.
"Celosia, how are things on your end? From what Dr. Xerosic just told me, it seems something went wrong with your mission."
Lysandre's expression revealed no obvious emotion. His tone carried neither anger nor reproach.
Even so, the moment he spoke, Celosia couldn't help trembling slightly.
"Reporting to you, Director. This subordinate was at fault. Ultimately, I failed to complete the mission."
Celosia lowered her head, her expression tense and apprehensive as she delivered her report.
"Oh?"
Lysandre didn't show much of a reaction. He merely gave a brief response and stared at her through the holographic projection for several seconds before speaking again.
"Tell me exactly what happened during the mission. Go through everything in detail."
Lysandre recalled the Knight's Way promotional tour held by Wikstrom the previous day.
During the exhibition battles, Ash had displayed astonishing Trainer talent and remarkably impressive strength.
Ash was a prodigious young Trainer who was already a household name throughout the Kanto region. He was widely regarded as the Light of Kanto and the future Champion of the Indigo League.
A super-genius Trainer like him naturally attracted Lysandre's interest.
When he had assigned Celosia to make contact with Ash, collecting the Mega Evolution Wave energy produced by Pidgeot's Mega Evolution hadn't been his only objective.
He had also wanted to test Ash's strength and, just as importantly, get a sense of his character.
If everything went well, Lysandre intended to approach Ash under the name of Lysandre Labs and offer him sponsorship, gradually drawing him into their circle.
Ash could then challenge other Trainers who possessed the ability to Mega Evolve their Pokémon, allowing Team Flare to collect Mega Evolution Wave energy from a variety of sources.
However, judging by the current situation, it seemed that something had gone wrong with his plan.
"Yes, Director."
Celosia responded and began recounting everything that had happened that morning.
She explained how, after arriving in Lumiose City, she had immediately ordered members of the underground Team Flare base to hack into the city's traffic surveillance system and track Ash's movements.
She then described how, that afternoon, Ash and his companions had left Professor Sycamore's research institute and headed toward Pokémon Breeding Street.
While they were on their way, she had intercepted them, launched an attack, and lured them into an unoccupied battlefield in a nearby park, where the confrontation had taken place.
Celosia reported every detail of the encounter to Lysandre.
"Celosia, you actually ordered your Pokémon to attack the Trainer himself?"
Upon hearing that part of her account, Lysandre couldn't help furrowing his brows.
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T/N:
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