Chapter 976 The meeting begins
In the core meeting room of Aindook, the air seemed to condense beside the heavy oak table.
The afterglow of the celebration was still lingering outside the window, but the atmosphere inside was completely different, solemn and undercurrent surging.
The Unova side was headed by the Grandmother, who sat calmly in the main seat, with Shaka sitting on her right, Quichis and Asura on both sides, and finally the high-ranking Gal who looked uneasy.
The grandmother-in-law swept her eyes across the room, carrying with her invisible pressure.
On the Sinnoh side, Lugia restrained his usual casualness and sat upright, with the calmness of a leader between his brows.
Sirona sat beside him. Although she was still young, she was not afraid of such scenes. Cattleya sat quietly in Oliver's arms, looking at everyone curiously, her little hands grasping her mother's fingers. She seemed a little out of place, but no one dared to say anything.
In the audience, Granny Long looked calm and composed, as if she was just there to enjoy a performance.
Next to her, Genji frowned slightly, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously. It was obvious that his mind was not entirely focused on the upcoming negotiations, but rather on assessing the security forces here.
Gar's eyes swept over Granny Long and Genji again, and he couldn't help but questioned in a low but clear voice:
"Grandmother, please forgive me for being frank. Our joint meeting with Unova and Sinnoh is to discuss important issues concerning the future of both regions.
Is it inappropriate to have a...'guest' from Hoenn sit in? This seems to be beyond the scope of our original agenda."
He deliberately emphasized the word "guest" with an obscure look in his eyes.
Before Granny Long could speak, Granny Da's calm voice sounded, with unquestionable majesty:
"Gar, Eindok is my city and an important symbol of the Unova Alliance. Granny Long is my best friend and a highly respected guardian of the Hoenn region. Her insights with Genji may provide us with valuable advice that is different from our internal perspective when discussing the threats we face together. Besides,"
She paused, looking directly at Gar, "Aren't the barriers between alliances what we are trying to break down? It's better to have one more friend who listens than one more enemy who is suspicious."
Gar's face darkened. He was obviously very dissatisfied with the fact that the Great Lady bypassed him and directly invited the representatives of Hoenn, as well as her tough attitude at the moment. However, the Great Lady's status and strength in Unova made him dare not lose his temper on the spot. He could only snort in disappointment and said no more.
Kui Qisi had a proper smile on his face and spoke at the right time to smooth things over. His voice was gentle but with a subtle hint of guidance:
"What Granny said is absolutely right. The Kanto region is now aggressive and secretive, and may even be involved in the tragedy of the Adek Champion. We, Unova and Sinnoh, need to unite closely, and any potential allies are worth listening to. We, the Unova Alliance, have always respected the wisdom of Granny Long."
He cleverly directed the attack to the common imaginary enemy - the Kanto region, and praised Granny Long.
Lugia took over the conversation. He glanced at Sirona beside him, with a helpless yet doting smile on his face, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Yes, unity is strength. Look at me, I even brought my family with me to the meeting."
He pointed at Cattleya, who seemed to be amused by her uncle and giggled softly. Oliver patted his daughter gently.
"However, joking aside," Lugia said with a serious expression, "the Sinnoh Alliance is extremely sincere about this alliance. The fate of the Adek Champion is not only a provocation to Unova, but also a threat to all regions that pursue peace and stability. We in Sinnoh are willing to establish the most in-depth cooperation mechanism with Unova in terms of intelligence sharing, resource allocation, and even joint operations when necessary."
Oliver's voice followed, adding: "The key is to identify the source and scope of the threat. The arrival of Kanto Kikuko Tenou and Kurofujisai was by no means well-intentioned. They tried to snoop, but were turned away by us. This in itself speaks for itself. We need to establish a rapid response mechanism to deal with any unconventional actions that may come from Kanto and the forces behind it, including but not limited to... their attacks."
His words went straight to the point and brought the meeting back to the most pressing issue.
"Attack?" Genji, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. He stopped tapping the table with his fingers, and swept his hawk-like eyes over everyone, finally landing on Granny and Lugia. "Do you have solid evidence to prove that Adek was killed by someone from Kanto? Or is this just an excuse to promote an alliance?"
His questions were blunt and straightforward, with the frankness of a veteran on the battlefield.
He is more concerned about his own safety and the safety of Hoenn, and is instinctively wary of getting involved in unclear regional disputes.
Xia Ka responded immediately, his tone sincere: "Genji Tenno, we are still investigating. But all clues point to a powerful, mysterious and malicious external force. Kikuko Tenno and Kurofusai showed up immediately after the death of Champion Adek. Their attitudes and purposes are worth further investigation. Classifying them as the highest level of potential threats is a prudent judgment made by the United Alliance based on current intelligence."
He did not directly claim that the death was caused by Guandong, but he also emphasized that he was highly suspicious.
"Prudence?" Gar couldn't help but interrupt again with a hint of sarcasm, "I think it's just a figment of your imagination! Alliance is necessary, but isn't it too hasty to point the finger directly at Kanto and even let irrelevant Hoenn representatives participate in the core discussion? We haven't reached a complete consensus within the United Alliance yet!"
"Since there is inconsistency internally, we need to listen to the sober voices from outside." Granny Long finally spoke. Her voice was not loud but carried a powerful force that instantly attracted everyone's attention.
She looked at Gar, her eyes calm and still. "Genji is the Dragon King of Hoenn. He may not understand your political twists and turns, but he knows what a real threat is and how to protect his ship in a storm."
Her words were sharp but gentle, defending Genji while also hinting that Gal and others were too narrow-minded.
Genji felt Granny Long's gaze and straightened his back. An invisible, powerful aura like the raging waves of the deep sea emanated from him, making the air around the conference table seem a little heavier.
He didn't say anything, but this silent pressure was more convincing than any words.
Gal felt the pressure, his face changed slightly, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
There was a barely perceptible gleam in Kuiqisi's eyes.
The eldest grandmother took control of the situation at the right time: "Alright. There is no point in arguing. Mr. Lugia, our initial proposal for Unova is to establish a 'Unova-Sinnoh Joint Security Council', which will be composed of champion-level masters and core king-level masters from both sides.
A joint intelligence analysis center will be established, which can be rotated between Shuanglong City or Shenhe Town.
Share all information about mysterious forces, unusual movements in Kanto, and the activities of legendary elves.
When encountering a major crisis targeting any region, the other party is obliged to provide all necessary assistance, including military support. We can discuss the specific resource allocation and command details later."
Lugia and Oliver looked at each other and nodded.
Lugia responded on behalf of Sinnoh: "In principle, we agree. Our teams can work on the details immediately. Sinnoh proposes that the first council meeting be held in Eindoak to show our respect for the alliance and our sincerity in cooperation."
"Okay." The grandmother nodded.