The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Xu Mu got up, made himself presentable, and hurried to National Security Square, the largest venue in the Eastern Lands!
Today, tens of thousands of Trainers at Elite Four level or above would gather there!
They had come to see Xiao Tianyang off!
"Yesterday, my younger brother Xiao Tianyang fought the Hunter Organization in the newly appeared Sea God Secret Realm. Outnumbered, he lost his life there."
"But even facing death, my brother never gave an inch. He gave his life to buy ten minutes for the Pokémon League's reinforcements to arrive!"
"My brother's achievements over the past fifty years, and his contributions to the Eastern Lands and the world, are plain for all of you to see. I won't recount them one by one!"
"Because I know what he would want to hear isn't praise, admiration, or hollow flattery!"
"What he wanted was for us to keep our feet on the ground and truly serve the people!"
"We are the strong. Every one of you here today is at least an Elite Four Trainer!"
"Many of you may have grown up wanting for nothing, hailed as prodigies wherever you went!"
"Many of you may never have known hardship or suffered an injustice!"
"Many of you may never have stopped to consider what my brother meant when he said to keep your feet on the ground and put your heart into your work!"
"Well, today I'll speak to you in my brother's place."
Xiao Yuyang stood on the stage, his presence commanding. There was nothing frail or decrepit about him.
Nor was he weak or faltering from grief.
His back remained straight, his voice as forceful as ever!
This was the Chief of the Eastern Lands!
Anyone else could fall, but