Chapter 201: I May Not Have Much Time Left
Rio stepped onto the champion’s podium amid thunderous applause. To his left stood the tournament’s runner-up, Brook; to his right, the third-place winner.
"These are the top finishers of this year’s Indigo Conference—let’s give them a round of applause!"
Soon, Rio received his champion’s trophy. When asked about his plans for the future, he replied: "I’ll follow the path of every conference champion before me—enter the Champion’s Road in a few days and attempt to reach the peak that no one has ever achieved."
"Is that so? Then we wish our champion, Rio, the very best of luck!" the host laughed, not taking it too seriously.
He knew what Rio meant by "the peak"—becoming the dual Champion of both Kanto and Johto. But that was incredibly difficult. No one had ever succeeded. The requirement was to defeat all four Elite Four members consecutively without rest. That was precisely why the Champion seat in both regions had remained vacant. Even the Elite Four themselves couldn’t do it. He figured Rio was probably no exception—strong, yes, maybe even on par with an Elite Four member, but certainly not strong enough to beat all four in one go.
Soon, the host had Rio raise his trophy above his head. The next moment, brilliant fireworks exploded across the sky, and the host declared the conference officially over.
Most of the crowd was lost in celebration. But a few were not.
Among them was Lance.
"Where are the attackers?!" He stared in disbelief as Rio, trophy in hand, prepared to leave the stage. Wasn’t there supposed to be danger? You said your life was at risk! And yet you just walked through the entire tournament without a scratch!
Is he messing with me?
Lance started walking toward Rio, ready to confront him. But just as he was about to reach him, Rio shot him a sharp glance that stopped him cold. As Rio passed by, he whispered: "Meet me at the restaurant."
Lance watched Rio walk away, sensing that there was still more to the story.
At the exit, Rio was surrounded by well-wishers—and spotted Aria and Saurion, both looking equally frustrated. As he passed them, he whispered: "Meet me at the café."
Before they could speak, Aria and Saurion exchanged a look and silently slipped away.
Half an hour later, Rio—wearing a mask—arrived at the café to meet Aria and Saurion. Just like last time, he kept the atmosphere tense, pulling out paper and pen right away and writing:
"I think I may not have much time left."
Aria and Saurion’s eyes widened. You just became the Indigo Conference champion—how could you be on the verge of death? Aria instinctively wanted to ask aloud, but Rio silenced her with a look. She took the pen and wrote: "Why do you say that?"
Rio replied: "I can’t tell you—it might trigger something terrible. But I’ve seen everything you’ve done for me these past days, and I’m truly grateful. If I die, please keep Articuno’s feather for yourselves."
Aria’s mouth fell open. Suddenly, she realized the situation was far graver than she’d imagined. Rio was actually willing to leave Articuno’s feather with them—a treasure that could summon a legendary bird. Something others would dream of possessing.
She took the pen again: "Is there anything we can do for you? Anything at all—we’ll help."
Saurion nodded firmly beside her. Rio shook his head with a smile and wrote: "Thank you, but I don’t need anything more. If you really want to do something, just hope I live long enough to attend your wedding."
He stood up and left. Saurion stared at the words. A wave of guilt washed over him. He slapped himself across the face.
"I’m a horrible person! How could I have doubted such a good man? And I insulted him too—I’m the worst!"
Aria watched Rio’s retreating figure, suddenly seeing him as a man full of hidden depth. His actions at Raikou Mountain must have been coerced. Despite his strength and fame, his heart was surely filled with suffering.
Once out of their sight, Rio slipped into a corner and hurried to the restaurant where Lance was waiting.
Lance was already seated, his face full of resentment. Rio sat at a table about eight meters away, just as before, and had Gengar relay messages. Lance noticed Rio’s arrival and tried to turn—but Gengar’s Psychic held him in place. A note appeared on his table:
"I may not have much time left."
Lance’s eyes widened—just like Aria and Saurion. He quickly wrote back demanding to know what was happening.
Rio’s reply came a minute later: "I can’t tell you why. But I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. If I die, keep Articuno’s feather."
Lance was stunned. The situation suddenly felt dire—as if Rio’s death was imminent. He scribbled: "You’re supposed to enter Champion’s Road soon and challenge us Elite Four—how could you be dying?"
Rio’s response came quickly: "My life may end during this time."
What does that mean? Lance’s mind raced. Are the attackers planning to strike during his challenge, or while he’s fighting us? Then his expression changed—if they were targeting the Elite Four, that meant they could be coming for him too. Taking out all the top trainers of both Kanto and Johto at once—it might be an attack by outsiders.
A chilling realization struck Lance. Maybe Rio wasn’t the real target—maybe he was. The one in danger of losing his life wasn’t Rio—it was Lance himself.