Amid laughter and cheerful chatter, the four-hour livestream came to an end. Xia Chi stood up and stretched.
After his usual dose of cuddling Floragato, who had obediently waited for him to finish work, Xia Chi suddenly remembered something.
Geeta seemed to still be waiting for his reply.
He opened his phone and sent a message: "Chairwoman Geeta, are you still there?"
The League in Paldea was structured a little differently. "Champion" was not a unique title, but a measure of a Trainer's strength.
That was what it meant to be a Champion-ranked Trainer.
There were now faint signs that this ranking system was spreading to other regions.
People would describe Trainers who possessed the corresponding strength but lacked an official title as "Gym Leader level" or "Elite Four level."
As Paldea's Top Champion, Geeta held an even more important position: chairwoman of the League.
Naturally, Xia Chi followed everyone else's lead in addressing her that way.
When Geeta did not reply immediately, Xia Chi went to the bathroom to wash up.
By the time he returned, her message had arrived.
"Hello, Teacher Shuiye. I've finished handling things on my end. Could we discuss this over a call?"
With Paldea's Top Champion addressing him so respectfully, Xia Chi naturally agreed.
The Piplup voice call connected.
A calm, steady female voice came through his phone.
"Hello, Teacher Shuiye. It must be late at night in Donghuang, right? Sorry to disturb you."
Xia Chi felt embarrassed. "Chairwoman Geeta, please don't be so formal with me. I don't deserve it."
Geeta said earnestly, "There's an old saying in Donghuang: people learn at different times, and everyone has their own field of expertise. When it comes to mythology and history, you certainly deserve to be called a teacher."
*She really is just as kind