The evening wears on, and as we wait for Leon to join us for dinner, an unusual and concerning silence lingers. Minutes turn into hours, and Leon's absence becomes increasingly apparent. Hop, usually upbeat and confident, now wears a worried expression.

"This is absurd... Even Lee's never this late. Something's not right. He always does what he says he'll do." Hop voices his concern, his tone laden with worry. "As a kid, he promised me he'd become Champion one day, and he went and did just that! He ought to be able to keep to his own dinner plans!"

Gloria, with a perceptive observation, adds, "Maybe there is something that happened to him..."

The unease in the air is palpable, as we grapple with the unexpected absence of the Galar Champion, Leon, pondering what might have caused this unforeseen delay.

In an unexpected turn of events, Piers makes his presence known on the field. With his characteristic bluntness, he remarks, "Kid's sure got a mouth on him, huh? If you were that noisy durin' battle, you'd unleash a whole new level of power, you know." I acknowledge his arrival with a polite greeting, saying, "Oh, hi, Piers."

However, Hop is visibly frustrated and doesn't hold back. "Oh, pack it in, Piers! I'm seriously worried here! So I don't need to see your smug mug looking like you're having a go at me, even though you act like you're giving me good advice!" Hop retorts, his concern for Leon overshadowing any patience he might have had.

Piers continues to offer information despite the tension. "Judgin' by appearances? No wonder you lost to your mate. If you're lookin' for the Champion, I saw him headin' to Rose Tower. Oh, he's not alone, there are two people who are with him. The other Champions."

I interject with surprise, "You mean my Mom and Dad?" Confusion fills my voice as I ask, "Why would they go there?"

Piers sheds some light on Leon's whereabouts. "Dunno what he's up to, but I ran into him at the monorail platform. He said to tell you that he had somethin' to do at Rose Tower, so he'd be late to your dinner."

The mystery deepens, prompting Victor to question, "But why Rose Tower? What could he have to do there at this hour?"

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Hop seeks assistance. "Piers, do us a favor. Take us to Rose Tower, would you? Neither of us know the way."

Elena chimes in confidently, "Hey, I know the way!"

Piers, despite his gruff exterior, appears to be willing to help. "Sheesh... What rude siblings, always so demandin' of others. Though I s'ppose... It's a real problem for me, too, if the Finals are held up for any reason. And I don't really hate the two of you little runts. You were good enough to beat me, after all. So I think I'll invite Team Yell along, and we'll all have ourselves a bit of fun. Shall we?"

Hop's enthusiasm shines through as he exclaims, "Brilliant! You're the best, Piers! Let's go make a real ruckus!"

As we prepare to embark on our journey to Rose Tower with the unexpected assistance of Team Yell, Dawn inquires with surprise, "So that really is the famous singer Piers, right?"

Alice confirms, "Yeah, he's also the Gym Leader of Spikemuth and probably the boss of Team Yell. They're all big fans of Marnie."

Heading outside, we encounter Marnie, who appears somewhat begrudgingly. She mutters under her breath, "Man, why am I here for this? I'm totally exhausted from that battle with you, Ash..."

Piers expresses Team Yell's commitment to helping us, stating, "We decided that Team Yell will cheer you on, guys. Let's help out together."

"What a beautiful display of sibling love! However, it is entirely unnecessary." Our spirits are lifted by the unexpected support, but our optimism is short-lived as Oleana approaches us. Her presence adds a layer of concern and uncertainty to the situation. Helen questions her, "Oleana, what is the meaning of this?"

Oleana, her tone resolute, responds, "Chairman Rose is with the Champions in a very, very important meeting... There is no way I will let anyone interfere! After all, only authorized personnel with the proper key can ride the monorail to Rose Tower. That means as long as Chairman Rose is in the tower, no one can disturb him!"

Elena, frustrated by the situation, demands, "Not even me? I'm his daughter!"

Oleana attempts to reassure her, saying, "Don't worry, Lady Elena. I have hand selected a member of the League staff and given them a key. Chairman Rose does enjoy these kind of menial games after all."

A Macro Cosmos staff member with black glasses, unlike the typical ones with rainbow-colored glasses, arrives, catching us by surprise. Oleana inquires, "Do you think you can tell the difference between normal League staff and the one I chose?"

The staff member promptly challenges us, asking, "Do you think you can find me?" Before we can react, the staff member dashes off, leaving Serena to voice her skepticism. "Seriously? We're going to play hide and seek in this big city of Wyndon?"

Marnie seeks guidance, asking, "What should we do?"

Piers, ever enthusiastic, offers his assistance. "Tch. This isn't good! But I got this one! Team Yell's yellin' will handle this!"

Hop, determined to aid in the search, chimes in, "No. This is brilliant! I'll search around the front of the stadium!" We begin to strategize our approach to this unexpected challenge, intent on finding the hidden staff member and continuing our quest to reach Rose Tower.

As we split up to cover more ground in our search, Piers recalls, "That bad one was wearin' those lame shades, right?"

Alice nods, confirming, "Yeah. Where is he..."

Alice, Serena, and I stick together, with Piers and Marnie, as we scour the plaza, while the rest of our group explores other areas. Suddenly, a Team Yell Grunt calls out to us, "Found him!"

We hurry over to the Team Yell Grunt's location, where we discover the staff member we've been seeking. However, he appears to be facing the wall, refusing to turn around. The Team Yell Grunt expresses his frustration, saying, "Hey, guys! This bloke's awfully shifty, but I can't get him to turn around! Say somethin' surprisin' so that he'll have no choice but to look this way!"

With confidence, I declare, "I know! We already have the key, you know!"

My bluff seems to catch Eric off guard, and he turns around in surprise, exclaiming, "What?!"

Alice follows up, triumphant, with, "Got you!"

Realizing his predicament, Eric laments, "Blast, I turned around! And I can't escape?! In that case, time for a Pokémon battle!"

He proceeds to send out Galarian Meowth and Durant, revealing his penchant for Steel-type Pokémon. I strategize quickly, advising, "The staff usually uses Steel-type Pokémon, so we need Fire, Ground, and Fighting Pokémon if we want to win."

Marnie lends her support, stating confidently, "My cheers will really get you goin'!" Her encouragement boosts our Pokémon's Speed Stat, enhancing their performance in battle. With our coordinated efforts, we defeat both of Eric's Pokémon with ease.

Eric gasps, clearly flustered, "Don't suddenly talk to me like that! I accidentally turned around! All I need to do is hide, and I won't have to give you the key!"

Despite our best efforts, Eric manages to evade us once more, prompting the Team Yell Grunt to comment, "It's a wonder how fast that guy could run... I've got no idea where he went, guv."

Our frustration grows as we groan, realizing that he shouldn't have had the chance to get so far ahead. Alice voices our concern, saying, "He shouldn't have gone this far... where did he go?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask the other staff members if they've seen him?" I suggest. When I approach a staff member conversing with other tourists, he turns around in shock, exclaiming, "How'd you find me...? Or did you just talk to everyone you met?!"

"We were about to, but now you're not escaping this time," I respond firmly.

Undeterred, Eric accepts the challenge and sends out Mawile and Excadrill this time. Marnie, once again, boosts our team's spirits with her cheering. "Feel that flow! Yeah! You feelin' it?"

Our Pokémon benefit from increased Defense and Special Defense, allowing them to defeat the Steel types with ease. Eric groans in defeat, "And I even switched up my Pokémon while I was running... They say hide a tree in a forest, so... I thought I could hide myself in the crowd!"

With his words, he makes another escape attempt, much to our growing annoyance and determination to finally catch him. Our persistence pays off as we discover an occupied telephone booth with a staff member inside. With determination, we open the door, surprising Eric once more.

"You're way too observant! But I'll win this time and make my getaway!" Eric declares, sending out Ferroseed and Steelix this time. Marnie continues to lend her support, exclaiming, "Yeah! Have some of my support! I know you can keep the beat goin'!"

Marnie's encouragement helps boost our Pokémon's Attack and Special Attack stats, allowing them to overcome Eric's Steel-type Pokémon. Frustrated and out of options, Eric concedes, "Hiding didn't work, and battles didn't work... Only thing to do now is run!"

Just as we think we've finally cornered him, our allies arrive on the scene. Eric, undeterred, proclaims, "Seems like you've got me cornered... But I'm not going to give up! An earful from Ms. Oleana is way worse than anything you lot can do! Good luck catching me on the monorail!"

We make an attempt to grab his hand, but a sudden influx of Team Yell grunts descends upon me, preventing us from stopping Eric's escape. I express my frustration, exclaiming, "Why is this happening right now..."

Piers takes charge and instructs Team Yell to search for Hop, rallying the group to corner the elusive League staff member at the station. As we rush into the station, we encounter three more staff members, all sporting black glasses.

Elena expresses her concern, saying, "Great... now who has the key?"

Dawn raises a valid point, "Maybe Eric gave it to others. What are we going to do then?"

Piers, recognizing our involvement in the previous encounter, addresses Alice and me. "Ash and Alice. I heard everything from Bolt and Boltera, you two are members of the Colors Band, right?"

Alice questions the relevance, asking, "What does it matter now?"

Piers, undeterred, decides to show his appreciation for our assistance in cornering the League staff member. "You did a crackin' job of cornerin' that bad League staff member. Let me sing you a song fittin' of your rockin' deeds!"

As Alice and I grasp Piers' intention, we eagerly retrieve our guitars and begin to play one of Piers' famous songs. Piers, ever the showman, sets up his microphone stand and joins us in singing, transforming the station into an impromptu concert venue.

Lisia, puzzled by our actions, questions, "What are you doing? Is this the time to perform now?"

"The only thing a humble singer can do is sing a humble song. "
"Maybe I can't cheer someone on just with the tunes I play. "
"Maybe my songs don't make anyone happy. Maybe I can't help. "
"But still the only thing I can do is sing—sing my humble song. "

As we continue our impromptu performance with Piers and the support of Team Yell, the station's public begins to take notice of us. Murmurs and excitement ripple through the crowd.

"Hey, isn't that Piers? Why's he doing a street performance?"

"I think you mean a station performance."

"Wait, those two! They are Red and Green from the Colors Band! Are they having a collaboration?"

"Come on - let's see if we can get closer!"

As the crowd rushes toward us, the chaos of the stampede inadvertently causes the four Macro Cosmos staff members to be trampled by the mass of people and Pokémon alike. Amid the commotion, a Team Yell grunt calls out, "We got the key, Piers! We can take the monorail to Rose Tower now!"

After we finish our performance, Piers seizes the opportunity, urging Elena and the others, "Guys! Now's your chance! Go! Get outta here!"

Elena and the rest of our group swiftly make their way to the monorail with the key in hand, while Piers, Alice, and I decide to complete our performance before catching up to them.

Upon our arrival at Rose Tower, we find the others engaged in conversation at the entrance. Marnie discusses the situation, stating, "An employee's an employee I guess... Seems that the exec lady hid the monorail key to try and impress the chairman. Chairman Rose's been keepin' the Champion holed up inside. Wonder what he's plottin'."

Piers reminisces about the past, saying, "Times like this—when tension and passion run high—reminds me of Spikemuth in the old days. Some right-wing concerts we had back then. But no encores!"

As our friends notice our arrival, Piers addresses us, "Wait, you're still here? You better get goin'! I'll send some support your way with a yell!"

I express my gratitude, saying, "Thanks a lot. So shall we go in?"

Marnie, loyal to her brother, adds, "Gotta stick around to make sure my bro doesn't do anythin' too crazy, right? Come back if you need anythin'."

With those parting words, we leave Piers and Marnie behind and enter Rose Tower, ready to confront Chairman Rose and uncover the truth behind his actions.

As we step inside Rose Tower, Gloria marvels at the sheer size of the building, exclaiming, "Whoa, it's huge in here! What in the world is this place meant to be?!"

Elena provides some insight, explaining, "This is, of course, my Dad's company. Don't know if you knew this already, but Rose Tower was built on a Power Spot. When we get up to the roof and have a bit of space, we can Dynamax our Pokémon!"

Flora expresses a hint of doubt, saying, "Though I'm not sure if we need to do that... So how many floors are here?"

I hazard a guess, stating, "Probably a hundred floors."

As we continue exploring, we encounter a staff member with black glasses, and they casually mention, "You'll be leaving right now, so there's no need to worry about the lift."

As we progress through Rose Tower, we suddenly hear Oleana's voice emanating from the speaker system, "Intruder alert. Intruder alert. All staff are ordered to help remove the intruders from the premises at once."

The staff member we encounter responds, "See? If Ms. Oleana says so, then it looks like this is the end of the line for you kids. If I get rid of the intruders, I'll probably get a big bonus!"

Elena, incensed by the situation, asserts her identity, saying, "Are you kidding me? Do you even know who I am? I am Chairman Rose's daughter! You dare treat me as an intruder?"

In the midst of the chaos, Gloria offers a plan, stating, "Ash, Elena. You two go ahead and leave the rest to us. We'll catch up to you later."

With the others helping to distract the staff, Serena, Alice, Elena, and I manage to enter the lift and begin our ascent to the top floor, undeterred by the obstacles in our path.

Upon reaching the top floor, we find Oleana waiting for us, and she sternly declares, "I will not allow anyone to disturb the great Chairman Rose! Leave here and now!"

Elena, outraged by Oleana's actions, retorts, "Oleana! How dare you treat us as intruders! You better let us meet my Dad or else I'll have him fire you!"

Just as the confrontation escalates, Relena arrives on the scene, and I acknowledge her presence, saying, "Ms. Relena."

Elena turns to her mother and pleads, "Mama! Oleana is treating us as intruders and now she won't let us enter!"

Relena sighs and, with a touch of resignation, says, "Since you're here, we might as well let you in for the meeting."

She takes charge, forcing Oleana to step aside, allowing us to rush into the tower. As we enter, we discover my parents, Elena's parents, and Leon present, setting the stage for the critical meeting that awaits us.

Chairman Rose expresses surprise at our presence, asking, "Ash? Elena? What are you doing here?"

I explain our reason for coming, saying, "Leon was trying to treat us for dinner after the Galar League ends, but then we were worried when he doesn't show up. So we came."

Elena, still frustrated by Oleana's treatment, voices her anger, saying, "Though that Oleana has been treating us as intruders and they are even trying to stop others from entering the tower. What is this meeting, and why do you have to do this to us?"

My Mom steps in, advocating for transparency, "Rose, I think they should know the truth."

As we all take our seats, my Dad, Arceus, begins to explain the gravity of the situation. He starts, "The thing is... Dia has given us a vision: The world is going to be suffering an energy crisis in the next month. The last time it happened was 999 years ago, and it was hell."

The weight of this revelation sinks in, and as Arceus, I begin to see visions of the past, vividly realizing just how terrible the previous energy crisis must have been. The impending crisis appears to be a dire threat, one that requires our immediate attention and action.

My Mom continues, shedding light on their plan, "The Macro Cosmos have been thinking about how to avert this crisis, and that brings us to the history of the Darkest Day 3000 years ago. If we use the power of the Darkest Day, we might be able to prevent the crisis and even let it last for 1000 years."

Elena, taken aback by the revelation, asks, "Wait, are you saying that you're going to summon the Darkest Day? How long has this plan been in motion?"

Chairman Rose admits, "For a few years. It is a huge risk since the Darkest Day might be out of control. This is why we want Leon, the undefeatable Champion, to help us. The moment it wakes up, we have to capture it in a Poke Ball."

The gravity of the situation becomes even more apparent, and we now understand the urgency behind Leon's involvement and the potential consequences if their plan goes awry.

As the tower begins to shake, indicating a fierce battle raging below, Chairman Rose turns back to Leon, expressing his frustration, "Leon. We've discussed this a hundred times already. And still, you fail to understand what's at stake? You, who are supposed to be our Champion..."

Leon, his resolve unyielding, counters, "I think I understand well enough. What I don't understand is why we ought to cancel tomorrow's tournament in order to solve a problem that's a month away from affecting any of us! What difference is one day going to make? My duty as Champion isn't this... this madness. It's to carry out that Championship Match! That's what Galar wants—and what I want! It's what we've all been looking forward to for so long!"

The revelation that the Championship Match may be canceled leaves me gasping in surprise, and I voice my concern, "Wait, you're going to cancel the Championship Match?"

Rose continues to emphasize the urgency of the situation, retorting, "No, you don't understand... You still don't understand a thing! Look around us, Leon! Look at the Galar region stretched out before us. And know that the energy required to keep this brilliant, glittering world alive will be exhausted a month from now! The people of Galar today will no longer even exist. What Galar wants today hardly matters! The future is more important than just one day! We must act as quickly as we possibly can! We must take action in order to avert tragedy! So that all can look forward to a better future!"

Leon, now more willing to cooperate, concedes, "In a month! Fine. Look. I think I understand your concerns, Chairman. And I give my word I'll help you with your plans... just as soon as tomorrow's match is over."

With the others now joining us, Hop expresses his concerns, "Lee... You never showed when you were supposed to, so I got worried that something had happened. Piers and Marnie and all those Team Yell oddballs, they all helped us out to get here..."

Chairman Rose, acknowledging the worry he caused, offers an apology, "I must apologize to you, Hop, if we've made you worry at all. There are times when adults just can't seem to have an honest discussion with one another. Sometimes our pride just gets in the way."

Leon, seeking to defuse the tension, suggests, "Never mind any of this. Let's head back to the hotel, and we'll all grab dinner together, yeah? It's on me, so you can order whatever you fancy. If you'll excuse us, Chairman Rose... And I do hope you'll watch tomorrow's match. It's sure to be one for the history books."

Elena, eager for a family gathering, proposes, "How about you also come with us as well? Mama, Papa?"

After some persuasion, we manage to convince our parents and Relena to join us for a meal. Chairman Rose, however, opts to stay at the tower, leaving us with a lingering sense of unease about his intentions and his connection to the impending crisis.

Here is a new chapter, well, I decide to change a little from the game because I think it is absurd to save a future that's 1000 years from now, and in my stories, Chairman Rose is not an evil person. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be continuing the battles.

Ash and Alice's Pokemon:

Venusaur, Charizard x2, Blastoise, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Rapidash (Galarian), Gengar, Kingler, Weezing (Galarian), Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Espeon, Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Abomasnow, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Darmanitan (Galarian), Garbodor, Zoroark, Stunfisk (Galarian), Greninja, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Decidueye, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Melmetal, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Greedent, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Thievul, Eldegoss, Dubwool, Drednaw, Boltund, Coalossal (Shiny), Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Cramorant, Barraskewda, Toxtricity x2 (Amped, Low-Key), Centiskorch, Grapploct, Polteageist (Antique), Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Obstagoon, Perrserker, Cursola, Sirfetch'd, Mr. Rime, Runerigus, Alcremie x9 (Each Flavor), Falinks, Pincurchin, Frosmoth, Stonjourner, Eiscue, Indeedee x2, Morpeko, Copperajah, Dracozolt, Arctozolt, Dracovish, Arctovish, Duraludon, Drakloak, Kleavor