Chapter 154: Taking Action

The next morning—

In the guest room of Temari's residence, Ryo sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slowly opening. He stretched lazily.

"The living conditions here really don't compare to Konoha…" he muttered.

Last night, he had been meditating in silence, his keen senses allowing him to feel the temperature shifts throughout the night.

The desert's heat in the day had turned into bone-chilling cold at night, only to rise again as the sun emerged.

With his mental fortitude, he had adapted well—but an ordinary person? They'd probably have caught a cold by now.

Thinking about it, life here in Sunagakure must be incredibly harsh for the average citizen.

His thoughts drifted as he turned to the side—

Still fast asleep, Hoopa, Diancie, and his Espeon were curled up comfortably.

Ryo let out a helpless sigh and patted them gently.

"Wake up, you three. No more sleeping in."

Hearing his call, the Pokémon sleepily opened their eyes, gazing at him with half-lidded stares of protest.

But Ryo didn't acknowledge their complaints.

"Come on, let's head out."

Yawning, he got up, put on his shoes, and left the room.

Originally, he had planned to stay at an inn, but after much persuasion from Temari and the others, he had stayed the night at their place instead.

As he stepped outside—

Temari and her brothers were already awake.

"Boss, good morning! Come have breakfast!" Temari called out.

Ryo nodded, walking toward them.

"Thanks for the meal," he said, appreciative.

Temari shook her head.

"It's no trouble at all."

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Kankurō added.

Ryo chuckled lightly and didn't say anything more.

He first fed his Pokémon some Energy Cubes, then joined them for breakfast.

As they ate, Kankurō glanced at Ryo's Pokémon with curious eyes.

"Boss, where's your Dragonite and Gardevoir? You didn't bring them along?"

Ryo nodded.

"Yeah, I left them back in Konoha."

Kankurō nodded in understanding and didn't press further.

But Temari, on the other hand, seemed a little concerned.

"Boss… leaving them behind in Konoha… that won't be a problem, right?"

Ryo looked up, meeting her worried gaze.

Understanding her concern, he smiled faintly and shook his head.

"Relax. I wouldn't have come here if I wasn't confident in my safety."

Hearing this, Temari didn't question further.

Breakfast quickly came to an end—

And just as they finished, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Coming!"

Kankurō, being the closest to the entrance, stood up and walked over.

As the door swung open, a familiar figure stepped inside.

"Good morning, everyone."

It was Baki.

Temari looked at him with surprise.

"Sensei? What brings you here so early?"

Baki, however, turned directly to Ryo.

"Boss, the recruits are ready. When do we begin?"

Ryo raised an eyebrow.

"Already?"

He had expected the gathering process to take much longer.

After all, not everyone in Sunagakure had even heard of Pokémon, and many would likely doubt their existence.

Yet, somehow, Baki had assembled them this quickly?

Just after breakfast?

That level of efficiency was… shocking.

Definitely better than how things were handled in Konoha.

Baki noticed his reaction and hesitated.

"Boss, are you… not ready yet? We can wait if you need more time."

Ryo shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I'm ready anytime."

"Great!"

Baki's eyes lit up.

"The sooner we start, the better."

Ryo stood up, brushing off his clothes.

"Alright, let's go."

With that, he followed Baki outside.

Temari and her brothers quickly got up and followed.

Under Baki's guidance, they soon arrived at the Kazekage's office building.

The moment they approached the entrance—

They could already see a huge crowd of shinobi gathered inside.

However—

Most of them looked confused.

"Why did Lady Chiyo summon us? I thought she swore not to interfere with village affairs."

"No clue. But since she called, we had to come—out of respect."

"Maybe it's about selecting the next Kazekage? Any guesses on who it'll be?"

As Ryo and the others walked closer, they could hear the murmuring conversations among the shinobi.

Then—

"Ahem—"

Baki cleared his throat loudly.

Immediately, the conversations died down, and all eyes turned to him.

Once he had their attention, Baki spoke.

"Everyone, I know you're wondering why we gathered here today."

"This meeting was arranged by Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizō—"

"—And the purpose is to help you all grow stronger."

The crowd stiffened, their expressions turning even more puzzled.

"Stronger? How?"

Baki nodded.

"Good question. Let me explain—"

He began introducing Pokémon to them, explaining their powers and the opportunities they presented.

However—

As expected, skepticism spread quickly through the crowd.

"Impossible! There's no way such creatures exist!"

"Even the strongest Summoning Beasts aren't that powerful!"

"Baki, if this is a joke, it's not funny! Stop wasting our time."

Some even turned to leave.

But—

Footsteps echoed from behind.

Everyone froze as they turned toward the entrance—

And saw Chiyo and Ebizō walking in.

Ebizō let out a nostalgic sigh as he looked around.

"It's been so long since I was last here…"

At their sudden arrival, even those who had planned to leave halted in place.

"Lady Chiyo! Lord Ebizō!"

Murmurs swept through the crowd.

Even the most doubtful shinobi remained silent, waiting for their elders to speak.

Baki stepped forward, bowing slightly.

"Lady Chiyo, Lord Ebizō, you're here."

Chiyo nodded, first glancing at Ryo briefly, then addressing the shinobi.

"I know this is hard to believe."

"But, for my sake, stay and watch first—"

"—Before making any judgments."

Her words carried weight, and after a brief silence, the shinobi nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Chiyo glanced at Baki, silently urging him to continue.

Baki understood and turned toward Temari's group.

"Temari, could you and your brothers release your Pokémon?"

The three nodded.

Reaching into their Poké Balls, they threw them forward.

A flash of light.

And then—

Before the stunned shinobi, three Pokémon materialized—

Mienshao, Gliscor, and Crobat.

The Pokémon blinked, glancing curiously at their surroundings.

But as they noticed so many eyes on them, they instinctively moved closer to their trainers.

The entire room fell into silence.

This was only the beginning.

>>>>><<<<<>>>>><<<<<

follow my patreon.com/Yueru1 for more advanced chapters