Pokémon: I just became a Gym Leader, and Cynthia proposed to me.

Chapter 795 Wusong's Ambition

Li Shuwen and Xilona said goodbye to her mother-in-law by the Love Lake.

The morning light shone on the eaves of the wooden house, and Grandma stood at the door.

She was carrying two bulging cloth bags filled with red bean paste she had made herself, which was still slightly steaming.

"Take this, use it to make ice cream. Remember to come along next time, and Grandma will make it for you again."

Hirona took the bag and hugged it to her chest, her eyes slightly red. "Grandma, please take care of yourself."

Li Shuwen took out several boxes of health supplements from her backpack and handed them to her mother-in-law.

"Remember to drink this on time; it's good for your health and can revitalize your body."

The mother-in-law took the health supplements, smiling and nodding. "I will, and you all take good care of yourselves too."

The two walked out of the alley side by side.

Cynthia linked arms with Li Shuwen, resting her head on his shoulder. Sunlight fell on them, casting long shadows.

The old woman stood at the door, watching them leave until their figures disappeared at the end of the street, before turning back into the house.

Back at the Sinnoh League headquarters, Cynthia was blocked by Gosho as soon as she stepped through the door.

Wu Song's complexion was better than before. There was still a faint bluish-black tinge under his eyes, but at least he didn't look like he could die at any moment like last time.

He was holding a stack of documents when he saw Cynthia, and a look of relief flashed in his eyes.

"My champion, you're back."

"There are several documents here that need your signature, three meetings that require your attendance, and we need to depart tomorrow to investigate an unusual gathering of wild Pokémon."

Cynthia took the document and sighed. "I've only been gone for a day."

Wu Song smiled and said, "My champion, you came back a day late, and there was already a lot of work piled up."

Wu Song adjusted his glasses and looked at Li Shuwen. "King Shuwen, the ranking challenge was supposed to take place today, but due to an emergency, it has to be postponed."

"A nature reserve in the northwest was raided by poachers who stole many rare Pokémon. I need to track them down myself."

He pulled out a file from the bottom of the stack and handed it to Li Shuwen. "You should know the leader of this poaching ring."

"You sent her to prison before, but she escaped quickly and embellished her experience of being defeated by you, spreading it around and attracting many followers."

"Now, she is a Hunter with a title in the Hunter Alliance—Hunter J."

Li Shuwen opened the file, looked at that familiar face, and frowned slightly.

"So it was her. I'll go this time and make sure she's completely wiped out."

Sure enough, the poacher he caught in the wilderness was the future hunter J.

The villain was shot down by the Three Saints Mushroom's foresight and was destined to die.

Wusong quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, that's not the case. She's more valuable alive. She knows a lot of inside information, and if we can dig it out, we can expose some bad elements within the alliance."

"So we have to capture her alive. I plan to try hypnosis to see if I can get the key evidence she has."

Wu Song smiled and said, "Your presence will only scare them away. Every poacher in the world trembles at the mere mention of your name."

"The moment you show your face, they run faster than anyone else. How am I supposed to catch them?"

Li Shuwen closed the file and handed it back to him. "Then what can I do?"

Wu Song thought for a moment. "There are two jobs suitable for a scholar-general like you. The Special Investigations Bureau is selecting new recruits, and you can supervise the selection process to see if it's fair and whether the examiners are biased."

He handed another document to Li Shuwen. "Special investigators, as the vanguard in each region's fight against evil organizations, face extremely high risks."

Li Shuwen raised an eyebrow. "Such a dangerous job, and people still manage to get in through connections?"

Wu Song sneered. "They're not here to work; they're here to rack up credit and boost their resumes."

"A little gilding, and it'll be easier to get promoted back home. The danger is for the ordinary special agents, the credit goes to them. Don't be too surprised, this kind of thing happens quite often within the Alliance."

"The situation in Kanto and Johto is even more outrageous, otherwise Wataru wouldn't need to personally work as a special investigator. The only relatively fair option is the Four Heavenly Kings who got in based on their abilities."

"We can only offer indirect advice, at most cutting away the rotten flesh we see. As for preventing and treating the disease in advance, we don't have that ability."

He sighed and patted the thick stack of documents. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be so tired."

The Special Investigator Training Camp is located in a mountain forest in the eastern part of the Sinnoh region.

When Li Shuwen arrived, it coincided with the last batch of candidates' practical assessment.

The camp was bustling with activity. The test takers gathered in twos and threes, some checking their equipment, some exchanging experiences, and some making final adjustments to their Pokémon.

The camp fell silent the moment Li Shuwen got out of the car, then erupted into an even louder uproar.

"It's Li Shuwen! The Midas Touch!"

"I heard he has defeated Da Ye and become one of the Four Heavenly Kings!"

"So young and already one of the Four Heavenly Kings..."

"He's more than just one of the Four Heavenly Kings; he's also Champion Cynthia's boyfriend!"

The examiners came forward one after another. The chief examiner was a middle-aged man in his forties surnamed Tian, ​​and everyone called him Instructor Tian.

He shook Li Shuwen's hand, his smile somewhat reserved. "King Shuwen, it's truly an honor for us to have you here to guide our work."

"The selection process is about to begin, you see..."

Li Shuwen withdrew his hand.

"Please follow your own procedure and don't worry about me. I'm just here to take a look."

The assessment site is a cluster of buildings simulating a city street.

Candidates must infiltrate a building undetected to rescue hostages and defeat the "bandits."

The assessment includes multiple aspects such as stealth, tactical decision-making, Pokémon cooperation, and mission completion.

Li Shuwen stood in the monitoring room, watching the live feed on the big screen.

The candidates entered the venue one after another, some cautious, some reckless, some working in good coordination, and some fighting alone.

His gaze quickly settled on two people.

The first one is Sarutobi Ryohei. He is of medium build, has an ordinary appearance, and wears a standard black combat uniform, making him completely unrecognizable in a crowd.

His actions were neither too fast nor too slow; he neither made any particularly outstanding performances nor any obvious mistakes.

His Pokémon is a Mightyena, which is quite obedient but hesitant in battle.

He hesitated several times when there were obvious opportunities to attack the "bandits," and finally had to rely on his teammates to help him out.

His stealth was average; he was discovered by the "bandits" once, but escaped with the help of his teammates.

Mission accomplished, hostages rescued, score average.

The second one is Hatake Toshio.

He was short and thin, but his eyes were bright, as sharp as a knife.

He moved extremely fast, maintaining high speed from the moment he entered the arena. His Pokémon was an Electivire, and their coordination was so perfect that it was like his shadow.

His tactical decisions were bold and precise; every choice was both unexpected and logical. He was extremely well-hidden and was never discovered by the "bandits" from beginning to end.

When facing "bandits," he was swift and decisive, defeating them with a single blow, never dragging things out.

During the hostage rescue, he was the first to rush into the room, knocked down the "bandit," and then took off his bulletproof vest and draped it over the hostage.

Mission accomplished. Speed, tactics, and teamwork are paramount.

The assessment is over.

The instructors began giving scores.

Li Shuwen stood at the door of the monitoring room, watching the instructors collect the evaluation sheets one by one.

Ryohei Sarutobi passed.

Hatake Toshiro, not approved.

Li Shuwen didn't move, but just looked at the chief examiner, Instructor Tian.

Instructor Tian's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and the score sheet in his hand was trembling slightly.

"King of Literature, Special Investigations officers do value combat ability, but combat ability is not the only criterion for measurement."

"We need to comprehensively consider factors such as teamwork, obedience, and psychological qualities..."

Li Shuwen smiled calmly. "Instructor Tian, ​​you don't need to explain to me. I'm just curious, which aspect of Hatake Tomoaki failed?"

Instructor Tian's forehead was covered in even more sweat.

"His teamwork score was low; he often acted alone without cooperating with his teammates..."

"Can his teammates keep up with his speed?" Li Shuwen asked.

Instructor Tian remained silent.

"Special investigators often need to infiltrate enemy lines alone. Teamwork is important, but the ability to work independently is even more crucial."

Li Shuwen looked at Instructor Tian. "If King Shuwen believes that Hatake Towei is fit to join the ranks of special investigators, we will certainly respect your opinion and give him a chance."

Instructor Tian quickly said that Li Shuwen could tell he was deliberately trying to push the matter onto him.

He probably likes Hatake Totsuhiro quite a bit, but someone is putting pressure on him and doesn't want Hatake Totsuhiro to become a special investigator.

"I think someone as talented as Hatake Toshio could be considered for a special investigation. With his drive, he'd definitely be able to crack down on a lot of crime," Li Shuwen said.

Instructor Tian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then let's proceed as the Heavenly King of Books and Documents suggested. Hatake Toroyoshi, approved."

Li Shuwen stayed at the camp for one night.

When he left the next day, Hatake Toshio stood at the entrance of the camp, carrying a huge backpack, with Raiden Beast squatting at his feet.

He saw Li Shuwen, quickly walked over, and bowed deeply. "King Shuwen, thank you."

Li Shuwen looked at him.

"I was just stating the facts. From now on, you have to walk your own path. This talisman might make your life a little easier, but ultimately, only your own strength can protect you."

"However, I don't want you to become someone who abuses your power and makes arbitrary decisions, assigning all the village's wolfhounds to be police dogs."

Hatake Toro immediately stood up straight. "I will definitely remember Mr. Shuwen's teachings today!"

Hatake Toro looked up, his eyes a little red.

"I will never let you down."

Li Shuwen patted him on the shoulder. "Go on."

Hatake Toshio turned around and strode towards the training field.

The sunlight fell on him, casting a long shadow.

Thunder Beast followed behind him, its tail held high.

Li Shuwen returned to the Alliance headquarters and made a phone call to Cynthia.

Shirona was attending a meeting out of town and sounded a little tired, but she perked up when she heard Li Shuwen's voice.

"Shuwen, how's it going with the special investigators?"

Li Shuwen explained the situation. Cynthia remained silent for a moment.

"This kind of thing happens quite often within the Alliance. It's even more outrageous in Kanto and Johto, otherwise Watari wouldn't need to personally work as a special investigator."

"As the Four Heavenly Kings, we can only hint at these things indirectly. As Wusong said, at most we can only cut away the rotten flesh we see."

She paused. "Gossong is so tired because he's using his photographic memory to try and cure this old man from the Sinnoh League."

"But how many patients can he treat all by himself? Even something as simple as cutting flesh will hurt and bleed."

"His trip to the Northwest may not yield any results."

Li Shuwen sighed, "I understand."

After a moment of silence, Cynthia said softly:

"My meeting is about to start. Please be careful."

Li Shuwen nodded. "Okay."

Li Shuwen ordered a milk tea in the lounge to perk himself up, when Wu Song called.

Wu Song's voice sounded tired and somewhat hoarse.

"Shuwen, the situation with the poachers is very complicated. I can't handle it all by myself."

"Do you have time to come and help? I'll send you the coordinates."

Li Shuwen checked the coordinates; it was in the northernmost mountainous region of Sinnoh, quite far away.

"I'm going there now."

He hung up the phone and immediately instructed his staff to arrange a private jet for him to go to the Northwest.

The staff acted quickly, arranging the plane for Li Shuwen in less than half an hour.

The plane taxis on the runway, accelerates, and takes off.

Li Shuwen sat by the window, looking at the clouds outside.

The sunlight turned the sea of ​​clouds golden; it was beautiful. He thought about Cynthia's words, about Gosho's exhaustion, and about Sarutobi Ryohei, who had been forced through the Special Investigator Training Camp.

The plane suddenly started shaking violently.

The fuselage suddenly sank downwards, and the backpack on the overhead luggage rack slid off and hit the ground.

The captain's voice came over the intercom, "Passengers, please note that the aircraft has experienced a mechanical malfunction and we will be making an emergency landing at Zhuqing City Airport..."

Li Shuwen squinted. Why did the plane have to break down at this exact moment?

The plane landed in Zhuqing City in the afternoon.

It was supposed to be an emergency landing, but it flew slowly in the air, circling around. Everyone knew it was stalling for time, not wanting him to arrive so quickly.

Li Shuwen walked out of the airport, looked at the gray sky, and sighed.

He sent Wusong a message: "The plane has malfunctioned and someone is deliberately delaying the flight. I will ride the Milerton instead and arrive a little later."

Then, a Poké Ball was thrown, and Milton emerged from a white light, with purple electricity leaping across its body.

He climbed on top of her and patted Milton on the neck.

"Let's go, the road ahead is still long."

Millerton roared to the sky, his four feet treading on blue-silver lightning, and soared into the heavens.

The ground recedes further and further away, the airport shrinks smaller and smaller, and the whole city resembles an unfolded map.

Li Shuwen lay on Millerton's back, looking at the distant mountains.

Wusong is still waiting for his support, the poachers are still on the run, and Hunter J is still at large.

There is still a lot to do.

He didn't have the same grand ambitions as Gosho, who wanted to eliminate the ills of the Sinnoh region.

But Li Shuwen's conscience made him want to intervene when he saw such a thing.

And he used all his strength!

Li Shuwen is indeed more outstanding in raising Pokémon.

However, in terms of management, Li Shuwen admits that he is far inferior to Wusong.

But Wusong's spirit absolutely deserves their help.

[I had a lot on my plate, so I posted it before it was finished. I've since revised it, so you can take a look again.]