Pokémon: My Online Friend Is Cynthia

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Exposed

The reason Julian valued Veilstone Gym so much was because the League issued operating subsidies based on a Gym’s condition.

How many Badges it issued each month.

Whether the yearly Badge quota reached the required minimum.

The ratio between Trainers who received Badges and Trainers who later participated in the League Conference.

A series of complicated assessment standards determined how much support a Gym received.

The subsidy ranged from one hundred thousand to one million League dollars per month.

The Sinnoh League currently had twenty-five Gyms, and Veilstone Gym ranked thirteenth.

Not good.

Not bad.

Before Julian took over, Veilstone Gym had always been a strong contender for the top three...

From the bottom.

Even then, the monthly subsidy of one hundred thousand League dollars had allowed Julian and Maylene to live comfortably.

He had entered the working adult life early.

He could travel once or twice a year, and short outings near Veilstone City, like spring trips, could happen once or twice a month.

After all, Gym Leaders were still people. Taking two or three days off every month was normal.

Now that Veilstone Gym ranked thirteenth, Julian estimated they would receive around three hundred thousand this month.

The top-heavy effect among Gym Leaders was not too exaggerated yet.

The subsidies had not been swallowed almost entirely by the top eight Gyms.

But the yearly rotation battle between Gym Leaders was different. Most of the broadcast revenue was divided among the top Trainers.

Last year, Darius had participated and brought only two hundred thousand home.

There was no helping it.

Considering Darius barely spent any time with Machamp and the others all year, bringing back two hundred thousand and not ranking dead last among Gym Leaders was already fairly impressive.

Gym Leader was a properly high-paying profession.

With the League spending that much money, it was only natural for its assessments to be strict.

That was why Julian was unwilling to travel.

If he left for a journey and came back to find that Veilstone Gym had failed an inspection because of Darius’ mismanagement and been ordered to close, reopening it would require all kinds of complicated procedures.

As they ate and talked, Julian suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to call his father again.

He quickly got up, walked out of the barbecue shop, and made the call.

When Darius saw Julian’s name on his phone, his face changed.

Damn!

He had forgotten.

He grabbed the phone and started sprinting towards Veilstone Gym.

Fortunately, his skills as a martial artist had not completely deteriorated. He was still fast.

"Hello, Julian. I’m home. Everything’s fine. Maylene is being very good."

Julian was suspicious.

There was a lot of wind on the other end of the call.

After hanging up, he returned to the table.

"Reggie, I’m a little worried about the person Uncle Frank mentioned. I’m planning to head back early."

"How about this? Tomorrow, bring Paul to Veilstone Gym. I bought a batch of fresh ingredients today, so we can make a big meal in the backyard."

Reggie nodded.

"All right. Leaving a little girl at home alone really isn’t appropriate. What I did today was a little careless too."

Julian waved it off.

"Trainers and Pokémon can part on good terms. As long as there’s no malicious deception, releasing a Pokémon or helping one find a more suitable Trainer can be acceptable."

He walked over to Frank, who was still working at the grill.

"Uncle Frank, I’m heading back first."

"Why so early? Eat more. What, my barbecue isn’t good enough anymore?"

Julian smiled.

"Your skills are as sharp as ever. It’s because of the matter you mentioned earlier. I should go back early and stay alert."

Frank nodded.

"That’s true. Who knows what someone with a grudge might do."

Darius ran and climbed over walls the entire way, finally making it back to Veilstone Gym within ten minutes.

A burly man suddenly vaulted over the wall and landed inside the Gym.

Under the moonlight, his pink hair was painfully eye-catching.

Aiden, who had spent the whole afternoon asking around and failed to find any dirt on Veilstone Gym, suddenly remembered something.

He had seen this burly man before.

During the Sinnoh League Gym Leader rotation battle broadcast.

Although the man’s results had not been high, Aiden remembered the martial arts uniform and the pink hair.

Last October, Veilstone Gym’s registered Gym Leader had still been this burly man.

By February, it had changed to that young man.

The process for replacing a Gym Leader could not possibly happen that quickly.

There had to be something wrong.

Feeling as if he had caught Veilstone Gym’s weakness, the petty man ran excitedly towards an internet café.

He needed to check the Sinnoh League’s official website and confirm who Veilstone Gym’s registered Leader was.

Right!

Such a simple question.

How had he not thought of it earlier?

Hearing movement, Maylene carefully pushed open the door.

Riolu bared his teeth slightly, ready to pounce and bite hard the moment a bad person appeared.

Darius had only just entered the living room when Riolu lunged at him.

Then came Maylene’s flying kick.

He hurriedly blocked both attacks.

"Maylene, it’s Daddy."

She looked surprised.

"Why are you back?"

"Your brother wasn’t comfortable leaving you home alone, so he called me back."

Darius clasped his hands together.

"When Julian comes back later, you have to tell him I came home very early."

Maylene narrowed her eyes slightly.

"That depends on your sincerity."

He thumped his chest.

"Tell me what you want. Daddy will buy it for you."

Then his tone changed instantly.

"But nothing too expensive. Daddy doesn’t have much money recently."

Maylene looked suspicious.

She did not believe Darius had no money.

His living expenses all came from playing games at the Game Corner.

Food, drink, lodging. All of it relied on the game coins he earned.

Otherwise, he would not have stayed away from home for so long.

His gaming skills were very good. If they were not, he could never have exchanged game coins for Jangmo-o and Riolu for the siblings.

So he definitely had plenty of game coins.

"Really? I don’t believe you."

After being exposed, Darius immediately explained, "All right. The truth is, I’ve got my eye on the latest grand prize. I’m planning to exchange for it and give it to your brother as an adulthood gift."

Maylene nodded in satisfaction.

"If it’s a present for Julian, then I won’t make things difficult for you. But I want the newest backpack."

Darius’s face changed immediately.

"The newest backpack? Don’t tell me you’re planning to sneak out and travel behind your brother’s back."

"No. Absolutely not. If I dared buy that for you, Julian wouldn’t let me through the front door again for the rest of my life."

Maylene puffed up her cheeks.

"I’m already ten! Why can’t I go travelling?"

Darius’s question struck the soul.

"Can you start a fire? Can you cook? Can you read a map?"

Maylene sat on the floor, dejected.

"I don’t care. I want to travel!"

Julian entered just in time to hear her throwing a tantrum.

"If you want to travel, then as long as you pass my wilderness survival training, I’ll agree to let you go."

"Really?"

Maylene instantly jumped up from the floor.

"Of course."

It was a lie.

Elsewhere, Aiden reached an internet café and logged into the Sinnoh League’s official website, searching for Veilstone Gym’s registered Leader.

When the full-body photo of the burly man in martial arts clothes appeared, Aiden burst into smug laughter.

In two days, he would challenge Veilstone Gym again.

This time, he would secretly take photos of that young man commanding Pokémon in an official Gym battle, while recording the whole thing.

Then he would submit it all to the Sinnoh League’s inspection team as evidence.

Let’s see if Veilstone Gym survives this...

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