The Pokémon League's headquarters sits atop the Indigo Plateau in the Kanto Region. Right next to the main building stands a hotel owned and operated by the League itself. This isn't your typical hotel open to the public—it exists solely to accommodate high-ranking League members. During the Quartz Conference season, nearly all of Kanto's Gym Leaders stay here while waiting for the tournament to begin.
I say "nearly all" because there are always exceptions. Giovanni, the Gym Leader of Viridian City, remained hidden in the shadows, never showing his face at official gatherings. Then there was Koga, who vanished shortly after the League handed down their disciplinary decision regarding him. His sudden disappearance left the Fuchsia City Gym without a leader for the time being.
Eddie knew the real reason behind Koga's absence. The man had a daughter, and he was likely using his recovery time to visit her back home. After all, dealing with that kidney injury would take some time to heal properly.
While Eddie understood the situation, the League officials didn't have that inside knowledge.
Still, the League had grown accustomed to Kanto's Gym Leaders disappearing without warning. It was just part of managing this particular region. In every other region across the world, Gym Leaders tended to be far more responsible. At the very least, they wouldn't vanish without saying goodbye, and they certainly wouldn't betray the League at the drop of a hat. Eddie couldn't help but feel frustrated by Kanto's track record in this regard.
Managing the Kanto Region had always given the League administrators headaches. Despite being the home of the League's headquarters, the region seemed to attract powerful yet unreliable individuals. Each one marched to the beat of their own drum, caring little for protocol or responsibility. Only a handful of people kept things running smoothly enough to maintain some semblance of regional stability.
The Alliance Hotel building doesn't welcome regular guests through its doors, but trainers can come and go as they please. After all, Gym Leaders and League executives often have friends and family members who aren't officials themselves. These visitors need somewhere to meet their loved ones.
That being said, Eddie didn't plan on making a grand entrance through the hotel lobby this time. Instead, he slipped inside using a more discreet method. Too many people knew his face around here, and what he came to do required privacy. The fewer people who saw him, the better.
With that goal in mind, Eddie used his Psychic abilities to create a subtle disguise before entering the hotel lobby. Once inside, he reached out with his powers to locate which floor each Gym Leader was staying on. After gathering that information, he headed straight for the stairs.
The Alliance's exclusive hotel occupied prime real estate on the plateau. Every room featured a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape. Behind one particular floor-to-ceiling window, thin curtains swayed gently in the breeze. Sabrina sat by that window with her eyes closed, holding a cup of tea in her hands. Occasionally, she glanced up at the distant snow-covered peaks of the plateau. Her cold expression made her look like an ice sculpture placed there for decoration.
Sabrina had always possessed a naturally cold temperament. This personality trait stemmed from difficult experiences during her childhood, and by now, changing it seemed nearly impossible. As a result, she found herself uninterested in most things aside from Pokémon. On a typical day, she would find a quiet spot and sit there for hours on end without saying a word.
What most people didn't realize was that even someone as cold as Sabrina had hobbies similar to ordinary people. When she felt particularly bored, she enjoyed going to the movies. She watched both comedies and tragedies with equal interest, though her expression remained unchanged regardless of what appeared on screen.
A rhythmic knock at the door interrupted Sabrina's peaceful moment. She frowned slightly and set down her teacup. Her cold voice drifted through the air like a winter wind.
"Who is it? I specifically told the staff not to disturb me unless something urgent came up."
Sabrina assumed the visitor must be a hotel employee. She couldn't think of anyone else who would come to her door.
She didn't have many acquaintances staying at this hotel. While her relationship with the other Gym Leaders had improved somewhat, many of them—especially the group led by Erika—still kept their guard up around her. That made perfect sense. After all, she had been hostile toward everyone not too long ago. Even though she accepted the League's amnesty offer, expecting others to drop their suspicions overnight was unrealistic.
As for Lt. Surge, her closest friend among the Gym Leaders, Sabrina knew he wouldn't be knocking on her door right now. The man was probably drinking at some bar on the Indigo Plateau at this very moment, bragging about his military days to anyone who would listen.
The moment those words left her mouth, Sabrina's eyebrows rose slightly. She stood up from her seat and walked quickly toward the door. She had felt a distinct Psychic fluctuation coming from the hallway.
Not many people possessed Psychic abilities, and in the entire Kanto Region, only one person with such powers would visit her at a time like this.
Sabrina couldn't wait any longer. Deep inside, a small spark of excitement flickered to life—a rare feeling for someone usually so emotionally distant.
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