Mew's sudden appearance triggered a reaction from the Prism Gene inside Klein's body. However, Rosa showed no signs of the same connection, indicating that Mew's presence was meant specifically for Klein.
As if acknowledging Klein's gaze, Mew clapped its tiny paws playfully, blinked mischievously, and then disappeared out the window.
Meanwhile, the Rota Gym battlefield was silent.
Shirley's face was deathly pale as she recalled Lucario into its Poké Ball.
Her defeat had left her completely drained, as if all strength had been sucked out of her body.
Just as the tension in the room reached its peak—
Queen Ilene gracefully stood up and applauded.
Then, in an elegant yet commanding manner, she strode toward the center of the stage.
With a sharp glance at Shirley, she made her decision.
"The evaluation battle is over. As for the future of Rota Gym, the Royal House of Cameran fully accepts its restructuring."
"From now on, Rota Gym will be rebranded as 'Golden Academy' under Koko's management."
"As for you, Cousin Shirley—you will be responsible for managing the newly relocated gym."
A thunderous decree.
Her words shook the entire hall.
Both Koko and Shirley were caught completely off guard.
Koko's eyes briefly flickered with excitement, but she maintained a composed expression, humbly accepting her new position.
Shirley, on the other hand, remained frozen in shock, her mind struggling to process the sudden stripping of her authority.
Queen Ilene's actions were decisive and ruthless.
By formally approving the gym's restructuring, she had also revived the Royal Academy—but under Koko's leadership, not Shirley's.
The truth was, Rota's royal family controlled very few industries.
Of those, most of their revenue was funneled into keeping Rota Gym operational—because the gym also functioned as an academy, the financial burden fell entirely on Shirley's shoulders.
With the massive expenses eating away at the royal treasury, Ilene had secretly supported Klein's initiative to challenge the gym's authority.
And now, with Shirley's humiliating defeat, the queen had seized the opportunity to restructure the entire system.
Klein smirked slightly.
"This Queen Ilene... she's quite an interesting ruler."
Originally, Klein had proposed that trainers should pass a written exam before challenging the gym.
But Ilene had gone a step further—
She planned to rebuild Rota Gym on the main street, ensuring it was fully integrated with the public.
Shirley finally snapped out of her daze.
"Wait... but isn't that location already occupied by a bar?"
Ilene raised an eyebrow.
"If it's for the people, why should that matter?"
She smiled coldly.
"Besides, without that bar, dear cousin... how else do you plan to support yourself?"
Shirley's eyes widened in horror.
"Wait a minute..."
Koko stepped forward, gently explaining the harsh reality.
"Since Rota Gym will no longer function as a Royal Academy, the crown will no longer fund it."
"Up until now, most of the kingdom's wealth was being funneled into the academy's expenses."
Ilene had always played the role of a kind and benevolent ruler—but today, she revealed her true decisiveness.
After issuing her orders, the queen casually departed, leaving Shirley in utter disbelief.
Koko helped her to her feet but offered no further comfort.
A long, awkward silence filled the room.
Suddenly, Rosa stepped forward and extended her hand toward Shirley.
Shirley stared at her in confusion.
"What... are you doing?"
Rosa's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"The Gym Badge. This was an official battle, wasn't it?"
This fight had pushed her to her limits.
Her Emboar and Serperior had given their all.
She refused to leave empty-handed.
Shirley gritted her teeth, but eventually, she handed over the badge.
It was beautifully crafted, a symbol of Rota's royal heritage.
Rosa's face lit up with joy as she held the badge.
She immediately turned to embrace Serperior.
"We did it! We won the Rota Gym battle!"
Klein glanced at the badge and commented,
"This is a royal crest. Now that the gym is being restructured, these badges will never be made again. That makes yours a limited edition."
From now on, Rota Gym would become just another gym—and the royal emblems would no longer be used as badges.
Holding onto this final badge, Rosa had obtained a rare piece of history.
Klein patted her shoulder.
"Alright, let's go. The rest is Rota's internal business."
Since Ilene had officially approved the gym's restructuring, there was nothing left for them to do.
As they walked through the bustling streets, Klein noticed that Rosa was unusually quiet.
"What's wrong?"
She gripped the badge tightly and muttered,
"It doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?"
Rosa sighed, her voice heavy with frustration.
"It just feels... wrong. A Gym Battle should be about the fight itself."
"Not politics. Not power struggles."
"I just wanted to battle, but somehow, it turned into something bigger than me."
She wasn't naïve.
She understood that her victory had been used as a tool for Ilene's agenda.
That realization left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Klein was surprised—he hadn't expected this to be what bothered her.
He walked to a nearby drink stand, bought a cold beverage, and handed it to Rosa.
"You fought with everything you had."
"Emboar and Serperior gave their all."
"That's real. That's not politics."
Unlike Rosa, Klein had long since accepted the ruthless games of the Pokémon League.
To him, as long as he remained true to himself and helped those who needed it, he had no regrets.
Rosa took a sip, letting out a small laugh.
"…You always seem to have the perfect thing to say."
Klein just shrugged.
But before he could respond, the Prism Gene inside him flared up again.
Turning sharply, he spotted a small Plusle watching him intently.
Rosa's eyes sparkled.
"Whoa, that Plusle is adorable! And it's staring right at you."
It looked identical to the Plusle Klein already owned.
But upon closer inspection, its eyes held a strange intelligence—an unnatural sharpness.
Unlike Rosa, Klein immediately understood the truth.
This wasn't an ordinary Plusle.
It was Mew, transformed.
As if confirming his thoughts, the Plusle smirked, rolled playfully on the ground, then released a small jolt of electricity before darting away.
Watching it vanish, Klein's instincts screamed that something was off.
He turned to Rosa.
"You go ahead to the Pokémon Center. I need to take care of something."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Don't go bullying that Plusle, okay?"
She misinterpreted his urgency, assuming he wanted to catch another cute Pokémon.
Klein smirked but said nothing.
This wasn't about catching Pokémon.
Mew was calling him.
And he needed to find out why.
(End of Chapter)