"Does Luo Yuan have some kind of grudge against us Galar folks or what?"
While Luo Yuan was still on the call with Lance, Oleana, who had watched the entire match from start to finish, found herself deep in thought.
Logically, she knew that was a ridiculous idea. But looking back at Luo Yuan's unrelenting aggression ever since arriving in Galar, it was hard not to wonder if he bore some hidden hostility — if he was targeting them on purpose.
This battle had been broadcast live across the entire Galar region — and unbeknownst to her, it had already been streamed to the entire world.
To completely shut out Leon, the Champion of Galar, in a match like that… Oleana didn't believe for a second that someone as sharp as Luo Yuan, a Johto Elite Four member, wouldn't understand the impact it would have.
And yet, he had done it anyway.
"Chairman Rose, what should we do now?" Oleana turned to Rose, whose brow was furrowed in thought.
At this point, the situation was completely out of her control. The only one who could handle it now was Rose himself.
Fortunately, the man she had always seen as the rock at the center of it all — the President of Macro Cosmos — now displayed the decisiveness befitting his title.
After only a brief pause, Rose made the call:
"Notify all our subsidiary media outlets and press agencies. Start damage control. Do what you can to downplay the situation and protect the League's image."
It was a conservative response.
In truth, the best solution right now would be to immediately replace Leon with a Trainer stronger than him. That way, Galar's former Champion losing to Luo Yuan, while still embarrassing, wouldn't deal as much damage to the League's reputation.
That's exactly how the Hoenn League had handled Steven's defeat.
But Galar's situation wasn't like Hoenn's.
Hoenn, at the very least, had Wallace — a prepared successor waiting in the wings, ready to take over at a moment's notice.
So when Luo Yuan defeated Steven, it hadn't rocked Hoenn nearly as hard.
But Galar? Frankly, outside of Leon, the Gym Leaders were all laughably underwhelming.
None of them were remotely suited to take up the mantle.
Years of commercializing the League had brought Macro Cosmos and Galar untold profits — but the trade-off was clear. The Gym Leaders had become too celebrity-focused. While they weren't as superficial as the Sensational Sisters from Cerulean, they were still nowhere near true elite-level Trainers.
At this point, even if Rose wanted to replace Leon, he didn't have anyone to take his place.
So even though he knew it wouldn't accomplish much, Rose still decided to move forward with a PR strategy to protect Leon.
"What about the terms Luo Yuan proposed earlier...?" Oleana asked cautiously.
"Accept them," Rose said without hesitation.
If Luo Yuan had lost to Leon, they could've brushed his demands aside and pretended they never saw them.
But now that Luo Yuan had won, and in a clean, unprecedented sweep no less, there was no way to refuse.
That said, Rose didn't see it as a major concession.
All Luo Yuan had asked was for Galar to open its communications market to the Silph Company. In exchange, Macro Cosmos would be allowed to fully expand into the Kanto region.
All things considered, it was still a massive win for them.
"Get the exchange agreement finalized as soon as possible. The League Council's been breathing down our necks," Rose added, casually putting Leon's defeat behind him.
"Understood."
---
Luo Yuan had expected that after beating Leon, Galar would likely agree to the terms he'd proposed beforehand.
But even he was a bit surprised when, less than an hour after the battle, Oleana reached out requesting a meeting — and flat-out accepted everything he'd asked for.
"Wow. First time I've seen someone so eager to jump into a pit."
Luo Yuan chuckled.
Beside him, Sabrina also burst into quiet laughter.
Of course, Luo Yuan had already considered why Galar was being so cooperative.
Part of it was likely that they truly believed this exchange deal would still benefit them overall.
But the bigger reason… was probably pressure from the League Council.
Luo Yuan had never taken the League Council seriously — they always seemed ineffectual and toothless.
But that was largely because Luo Yuan had already reached a level where he didn't need to care. And because his true identity was the second-in-command of Team Rocket.
To him, the League Council carried about as much weight as air.
But to Macro Cosmos — whose success was built on League partnerships — pressure from the Council was something they couldn't afford to ignore.
When Luo Yuan saw Oleana again, her expression was completely neutral.
Gone was the polite smile from their first meeting. Gone too was the furious indignation she'd shown during previous negotiations.
Now, she was all cold professionalism.
Luo Yuan didn't mind. Grinning, he signed the regional exchange memorandum that Oleana had drafted — Sabrina watching silently at his side.
Then he extended a hand.
"Miss Oleana, I look forward to working with you."
Oleana gave him a long, searching look. Her expression was unreadable as she reached out and shook his hand.
At the moment their hands met, a faint flash of blue flickered in Luo Yuan's eyes.
Oleana's body tensed ever so slightly — a minuscule pause. Then, within a split second, her movements returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Luo Yuan smiled faintly, watching her walk away with the delegation from the Sinnoh League.
He stretched and let out a contented sigh.
"The seed is planted. Time to begin the plan."