Could it be Caitlin?

The moment Saturn said those words, he looked utterly drained.

At the same time, he gave a subtle glance to Mars and Jupiter, signaling them to hold back their emotions for now.

Agents No. 3 and No. 4 exchanged a look—mission accomplished was written clearly in their eyes.

Their job had been simple: extract these four people.

To stir chaos and make their escape from Sinnoh easier, they had released all the ordinary Galactic Grunts!

The more chaos, the smoother their exit.

No one could have imagined that—despite two helicopters and over a hundred officers—Team Galactic would still… be taken?

By the time they boarded their aircraft, No. 3 and No. 4 simultaneously tapped into their earpieces, connecting with the Rocket Team Headquarters, nestled somewhere deep in the uncharted archipelagos off the coast of Kanto.

"Boss, mission complete. Returning via route 917. ETA ten hours!"

Rocket Team Headquarters.

Giovanni, upon hearing those two words—mission complete—finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Good. Bring them straight to HQ. I'll handle things personally."

"Understood."

Transmission ended.

Giovanni reached down and affectionately rubbed Persian's head.

"Didn't expect it to go this smoothly. To get my hands on the four top commanders of Team Galactic just like that... Cyrus, oh Cyrus… you had the vision, but no stamina. Rocket Team may have stayed in the shadows, but in the end, it's the one who stands last that becomes king…"

Giovanni allowed himself a few minutes of smug indulgence before tapping a button on his desk.

The screen lit up, and a middle-aged man with a white tiger tattoo across his face appeared.

"Allocate funds immediately. I'm setting up a new division… Call it the Galactic Squad!"

"Yes, sir!"

…

Back on the other side—

Cynthia drove Ash and the others to one of her favorite spots to eat.

It wasn't some fancy restaurant or famous eatery.

Just a cozy little courtyard eatery with a rustic, countryside charm—much like a farmer's home-turned-dining space.

"Alright, we're here," Cynthia said gently. "Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. She's one of my best friends—very hardworking. She snuck out to visit me, and I invited her for lunch today."

Cynthia explained with her usual warm smile.

Dawn, Anabel, and Lyra were naturally curious and had no objections.

After all, Cynthia was the Champion. And if even her close friend was joining them, this must be someone impressive.

Only Ash was already forming a guess in his mind.

In the original storyline, who had a close relationship with Cynthia and also had notable appearances?

Could it be…

The Psychic-type Elite Four from Unova—Caitlin?

No way. Could it really be her?

The spacey, blonde-haired girl with incredible psychic power?

Ash followed Cynthia into the courtyard, filled with questions.

There, seated gracefully and elegantly under the soft shade, was a young woman in a white wide-brimmed hat, her long golden hair cascading behind her.

As soon as she turned around at the sound of the door, Ash immediately confirmed it in his heart.

It really was Caitlin.

Right—her homeland wasn't Unova originally. She only went there to train and grow stronger.

Ash shook his head slightly. He didn't recall the full details of Caitlin's backstory from the anime, but he remembered her bond with Cynthia was quite strong.

Cynthia introduced everyone.

Caitlin's pale blue eyes curiously scanned Ash.

"I've heard about you a lot from Cynthia—both on the phone and in person. You defeated Mr. Lucian, Sinnoh's Psychic Elite Four member, didn't you? That's very impressive."

If Cynthia's warmth was like that of a big-sister-next-door, then Caitlin's gentleness felt regal and graceful—something that came naturally.

Ash nodded inwardly in appreciation. As expected of a noble heiress, she exuded elegance.

"If there isn't another person named Ash who beat Lucian, then I guess the one Cynthia spoke about… must be me," Ash joked lightly.

Caitlin let out a soft laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Dawn, Anabel, Lyra, don't be shy. Come sit down," Cynthia said with a smile. "Caitlin's heading back to Unova tomorrow. Lyra, Ash told me about your plans. When you arrive in Unova, if you need help, just find her. Starting today, you're all friends."

Caitlin didn't have many friends. Cynthia had always tried to help her open up.

This was a perfect opportunity to let Caitlin bond with Ash and the others.

The small courtyard had its own private chef and complete facilities.

At Ash's suggestion, Anabel and Caitlin had a friendly Pokémon battle.

Anabel's unique "heart-to-heart" communication ability truly amazed both Cynthia and Caitlin.

Caitlin was especially stunned to see that Anabel didn't have psychic powers, yet could still communicate with her Pokémon so deeply.

Bit by bit, their relationship grew closer.

But during this time, Cynthia received a call from the Pokémon League.

The call delivered startling news: the Galactic members they'd captured had been rescued.

Cynthia could only shake her head in exasperation.

She always felt the League's handling of such matters was utterly disappointing.

Still, it wasn't her responsibility. She had done everything she could.

Ash, on the other hand, found it quite intriguing.

Team Galactic—Sinnoh's most powerful underground organization—had actually been snatched away in broad daylight?

Who could've pulled that off?

Team Plasma from Unova?

Team Flare from Kalos?

Or perhaps…

Team Rocket from Kanto?

Interesting. This was getting more and more interesting…

Ash now had Regigigas added to his legendary lineup, and his confidence soared.

No matter what these underground organizations had planned—he wasn't afraid.

At the same time, Ash had begun preparing for the next major goal:

Mega Evolution.

That lunch helped everyone bond with Caitlin—Dawn, Anabel, Lyra … and even Ash.

He also learned that Caitlin and Elesa had a decent friendship too.

Fate sure was a curious thing.

The next morning, Cynthia returned to the League while Caitlin prepared to head back to Unova.

Conveniently, Caitlin took Lyra along to meet up with Elesa.

Ash, Dawn, and Anabel continued onward—toward their next adventure.

PS: Don't worry—the movie arc is coming. Just need to finish capturing Gible first, and then it begins!

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T/N:

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