Thursday, June 1st, 1978, 1945
Kiriel rubbed her temples in a gentle circular motion to assuage the aching headache she felt coming on. She had spent the entire evening listening to the weekly mandatory League meeting. Although, if she was being honest, it was less a meeting and more a herd of yowling Persians. Especially today.
As part of their obligations as Gym Leaders, they were expected to stay apprised of existing political situations and decide on a unified policy approach if questions arose. There was some flexibility, but per their League contract, they generally had to abide by whatever the consensus was to promote stability and avoid any panic.
The usual meetings covered any outstanding new trainers, sightings of rare pokémon, or anything else that might have caught the other leader's attention. They were generally uneventful.
However, every once in a while, they had to discuss critical issues, and today was such a day. Due to the shared militaristic nature of most of the gym leaders, things were usually cut and dry, and decisions were reached in mere moments. Nearly all current Kantonian leaders were vestiges of the War of Unification and had been awarded their positions for exceptional wartime service.
Kiriel was no exception; she had the scars to show for it. Kiriel took great pride in her clan's central role in pushing the Johtan military back on the southern front.
The problem in this case, and the cause of her pounding headache, was that she was the only non-conformist. At the root of the current issue was this absurd nationalist party playing into public sentiment that Kanto should essentially push to exert more control of the Johto region. Much of this stemmed from the fact that there had never been a Johtan champion. There was a concerningly widespread belief that Kanto's native pokémon were inherently superior, and thus, this somehow entitled Kanto to greater control over the entire region.
The whole thing was preposterous.
Following the War of Unification, each region was allocated equal representation in sweeping policy decisions. Samuel Oak had been particular that this was a stringent requirement for him to step down from his position as Interim Champion. The leaders of the two respective regions had finally capitulated, and thus, the modern Indigo League and its gym circuit system had been born.
As was true with all things, nothing was perfect. There were a multitude of issues that stemmed from the differences in opinion on how the region should develop collectively.
Kanto was far more industrialized, with a significant push for heavy development to propagate rapid and sustained economic growth. Silph Co. was leading the charge and, unfortunately, had many leaders and politicians on their payroll, smoothing the way to overruling anything the Johtan natives might have to say about their region's future.
The Johtan leaders were adamant that they were opposed to the technological advancements that, in their opinion, were degrading their culture and traditions. They simply wanted to be left to their own devices and progress gradually rather than sprinting ahead to the finish line to compete with countries like Hoenn or Unova.
This had been fine for the last few years, and everything had been relatively peaceful. Kantonian construction had proceeded rapidly, and the region was now one of the most industrialized in the world. Johto had stayed the same sleepy and traditional region they wanted; for the most part, everyone had been content with the status quo.
The current thorn in her side was the Arceus damned KFP. They had sprung up out of nowhere like a disgusting cockroach and had quickly made their way onto center stage. Personally, Kiriel suspected they had the backing of either very powerful or very wealthy people behind the scenes. There was no other way to explain their astronomical rise in popularity.
The organization was featured on talk shows, led rallies, and went door to door to connect with the average civilian. The KFP also somehow landed one of the big names from the war to serve as their public face: Viggo Dahlia.
Dahlia had been the very definition of a war hero, and the Kantonian leaders at the time had used him in an extensive propaganda campaign to maintain support for the conflict long past what anyone expected from what had started as a simple border conflict. It had allowed Kanto to overwhelm Johto in a battle of attrition.
Dahlia was attractive, charismatic, and talented. And perhaps most importantly, everyone, from little girls at an ice cream stand to grumpy old men in saunas, knew his face. Dahlia was something like a national celebrity and was currently instrumental in making sure everyone who heard the KFP's message would legitimately consider their vitriolic rhetoric for at least a moment. All it took was getting a foot in the door, so to speak. And Dahlia was the best of feet.
Kiriel started in surprise as the door to her office abruptly opened, and her husband swept in, humming a catchy tune like usual.
"Heya love, how was the meeting?" asked Jamie as he brought in a tray of tea and scones, smoothly settling across the table from her.
Kiriel gracefully poured herself a cup of tea, taking time to gather her thoughts before she responded. "It was busy, as is only to be expected the first evening of the season. Several of the leaders have already experienced matches. As expected, Sula handily navigated the Seafoam Islands and is on her way to challenge Blaine momentarily," Kiriel answered proudly.
"SHE MADE IT? That's great! I know she's a big girl, but I still worry, ya know? Do you think the match will be played tonight?" Jamie shouted exuberantly as he ran to turn on the TV in the corner of the office. He quickly flicked through the channels, searching for Trainer News: Kanto Edition, one of the popular gym challenge channels.
It followed up-and-coming trainers, tournaments, and even average gym matches. There were many trainer-focused stations, but Jamie preferred this one due to its accurate and objective reporting. Some other stations threw objectivity to the wind to cater to their audiences.
"Wait, stop. Go back," Kiriel ordered.
Raising an eyebrow, Jamie complied without resistance. "To what? Did something catch your eye that's more important than our darling daughter kicking that arrogant scientist's ass?
"Yes, go to Kanto News Now. Besides, I have it on good authority that the match will air tomorrow evening. We can watch it together. Blaine was on his way to the match just a few moments ago. He didn't want to give us the satisfaction of watching the match live just in case he lost. The man's behavior is shameful, to say the least. I have no doubts that Sula will dismantle him piece by piece," Kiriel said with a wicked grin, quite disjunct from her ordinarily stoic demeanor.
"Perhaps she'll even accelerate his increasingly obvious hair loss by a year or two. Wouldn't that be something," she said venomously.
"Alright, if you promise. It's a date!" beamed Jamie as he found the requested channel while tactfully ignoring his wife's comment; he had become ever more worried about his own hair of late.
"KFP LEADS RALLY IN SAFFRON CITY, RESULTING IN DAMAGES TO THE LOCAL LEAGUE OFFICE. SEVERAL INJURED, MORE INFO TO COME LATER," blared out of the TV's speakers.
Jamie and Kiriel exchanged worried glances before continuing to watch the news station as the on-air reporter sought to find a member of the rally to question.
"WE'RE HERE LIVE WITH ONE OF THE KFP SUPPORTERS. WHY ARE YOU HERE AT THE RALLY TODAY? WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE IS THE KANTO FORWARD PARTY SENDING, AND WHY ARE YOU BUYING IT?" the reporter shouted as she struggled to be heard over the roaring crowd, grimacing as she was jostled roughly several times.
"It's time for Kanto's leaders to step up and move the whole region into prosperity. Johto is mired in the past, and it's not improving. They insist on resisting the technological revolution and keeping Indigo as a whole in the past! Johto has never even had a champion, and all but one of the Elite 4 are from Kanto. Their trainers are constantly eliminated in the first round. It's pathetic. If we stay merged, it must be done with Kanto leading the way! Indigo has no room for weak leaders," the protestor shouted resolutely. The crowd behind him that heard his proclamation started cheering wildly.
"Do you think it's getting worse?" Jamie asked with a grim look.
"Unfortunately, I know it is. And it's not just average citizens like that peon. That's why this meeting was so long today; many other leaders are starting to buy into the toxic sludge that the group is propagating. It seems that power is further corrupting the government. This is exactly what Oak hoped to avoid! The honor present in the war's fallout is nowhere to be seen!" Kiriel's words practically dripped with contempt.
"There were calls to actively throw support behind KFP. What happened to political neutrality? What happened to leading by example? They're blinded by greed and arrogance. People are so fixated on power here that they fail to see that there are more important things than simply who has the strongest pokémon," Kiriel ranted huffily as she paced around the room.
"I was the minority. None of the others would give me the time of day. My position certainly hurts me in this instance; none of them can understand why I'm not blatantly supportive of this organization, as it would benefit me."
"Kiriel, we did expect that this would happen. Your regional sources indicated early on that we were invariably headed this way, KFP or not. We've set things into motion. Sula is already playing her part. Mare will do his best. Eleanor is really the only wildcard here, but we had limited options," Jamie consoled. "I understand this is frustrating, but now is not the time to react emotionally. You, of all people, should know this."
"Thank you for the helpful reminder, beloved. I know we've done our best. Sula will complete her task admirably. I can't think of anything else to do but wait. But I can't help but feel dread. What if it isn't good enough, Jamie?" Kiriel pondered, moving to look out the window over the broad swathe of property unfolding behind the compound.
"Then we deal with it," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "We deal with it like we've dealt with every other problem that has come up and every problem that has yet to arrive. You're very good at planning, and you're excellent at solving problems. You're also excellent at worrying about what happens ten steps down the line. We've talked about this, Kiriel. The plan we made with Mikhail should work or should, at the very least, start to shift public sentiment."
"If the people of Kanto only care about power, then we will show them power. Mare will show them the power of Johtan pokémon and hopefully will forge a bond with Eleanor or at least act the part. Mare is methodical and thoughtful, and above all, he will do literally anything he has to live up to the strict expectations you and the rest of the clan have placed on him. Sula should be able to make enough waves to generate attention to get the desired results. It's gonna work, I promise, love."
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Jamie paused in consideration before continuing, "I still think you've been too hard on Mare, but I can't really argue with the results. Pressure can make Waterstones, as long as they don't crack in the process."
"I disagree, but your feelings are noted. I wonder how far they made it tonight," wondered Kiriel aloud.
"I think they're going to be just fine! This is part of life here, and Mare has been through a lot more than other trainers his age. You and Sula have made damn sure of that. I bet that he hits the circuit like a storm. I don't know Eleanor well, but Mare is a good teacher. He's a hell of a lot better of a teacher than you are, that's for sure," Jamie joked, earning him a skeptical stare from Kiriel.
"Is that so, dearest? Who do you think taught Mare and Sula all they know? If he's a good teacher, I naturally take credit for said teaching ability," Kiriel rejoined with a light chuckle.
"HA! You just ran them through the fire over and over again; I'll give you that. Mare is more calculated, though. If he can hold it together through the year, then maybe, just maybe, the tides will shift," Jamie said drily.
"I hope you're right. I hope we've done enough. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is coming, Jamie. I felt sick to my stomach all evening listening to these muscle-brained men buying into the sentiment that power gives you the right to exert and extend control. I have a knot of anxiety that won't unwind. There is a schism between Kanto and Johto, and I don't know that anything we do will be enough to mend it in time," she whispered mournfully.
Wednesday, March 15th, 1978
"CRASH!"
Ellie jumped up in excitement as the front door slammed shut. She quickly paused the video she was watching and headed down to greet her father as he arrived home from work. She had been watching her favorite video of a pokémon contest back home in Johto. She had watched it at least thirty times since she moved to Fuchsia, but it still left her just as enthralled as the first time she saw it.
Ellie sighed in wistful resignment, all too aware that she was just making things worse by constantly reminding herself that she was stuck in Fuchsia.
Here in Kanto, everything was about battling, and there was hardly any emphasis on training pokémon for anything other than simply being powerful. She hated it here and just wanted to go home to her friends.
Ellie shook her head, snapping herself out of the negative train of thought, and smiled for the only family she had here in Kanto. She had long since realized smiling made all the difference, even if it was faker than even the best orange flavoring.
"Hi, dad! Welcome home!" Ellie said warmly as her father sluggishly set his work things on the dining room table. He wore his business clothes: a wrinkled white shirt with a red tie and a black jacket with dark slacks.
"Hey, sweety, how was your day?" Mikhail asked tiredly as he slumped into one of only two chairs at the small circular table. He immediately set to work undoing his tie, giving a sigh of contentment as the restrictive accessory finally gave up its choking grasp.
"Better than yours, it looks like," Ellie joked, sliding into the other chair across from Mikhail. "Is everything okay? You're usually tired, but this is, like, another level."
Mikhail frowned, thinking about how to explain his current predicament. "Honestly? Not really. The Fuchsia City board denied the JTP for the third time, and I feel pretty hopeless. The Safari Zone is only paying for all of this," he said while gesturing around to their home, "because I promised that I would be able to integrate rare Johtan species into their precious habitat. The idiots in the Safari management have no idea what goes into pushing something like this through. All they can see is that I'm failing, and they're so out of touch with the current political climate that they have no concept of why I might be failing besides my clear incompetence," he seethed in exasperation. "The only one who has my back is Jamie, from the Seiichi clan."
"Political climate? What does that mean?" Ellie asked curiously. "And who is Jamie? That name sounds familiar, though, but I can't put my finger on it."
"I see you still haven't learned to let someone answer one question before you ask more," Mikhail said wryly.
"Sorry… I'm working on it, though!" Ellie beamed, not in the least bit contrite.
"In any case, I'll answer those questions one by one. First, the political climate. Wait, before I go into it, is there anything for dinner? I'm famished," Mikhail said, as his stomach grumbled loudly. "On it!" Ellie saluted, boisterously putting her hand to her head like a cadet reporting to a superior officer. She headed into the kitchen to scrounge up some dinner, listening dutifully as her dad began his explanation.
"Thanks, sweety. As I was saying, the political climate. It all started with the fact that there has yet to be a Johtan champion in the League since its founding. Most successful competitors, and the current Elite Four, are all Kanto natives. That by itself isn't a huge issue, but when paired with the ongoing technological development in Kanto, it has become a problem, to say the least. As Kanto modernizes, Johto is falling even further behind. The Johtan government is stubbornly resisting any change, except in Goldenrod City, where they're working on building a high-speed train to link the two areas."
Mikhail slumped into his chair with an exhausted sigh before continuing, "With the economic boom Kanto is currently experiencing, many powerful people in Kanto want to extend their influence, and therefore their earnings, to Johto. Are you following me so far?" he asked, making sure his teenage daughter was absorbing the explanation as he tried to rub out a knot in his neck.
This one was just another in a long series of increasingly painful muscle cramps that he couldn't seem to get rid of.
Ellie shrugged as she started sauteing some veggies in a pan, "Kind of, but I don't really see what it has to do with your job in the Safari Zone. It basically sounds like some greedy people in Kanto want more, and they want it from Johto. I don't see why it matters, though. Can't Johto just say no and keep doing what they're doing?"
Mikhail nodded excitedly, pleased with her understanding. "Yes! That's a great summary, and I'll explain how it relates to my job. In the last few months, a new political party of sorts has been gaining momentum. They call themselves the KFP, or Kanto Forward Party, and they've been making waves. Big waves. They've been playing into the sense of excitement in Kanto's growth and the arrogance that many Kantonians have due to their pokémon training success in the shared Indigo League."
"At first, it started as a populist movement, but there have recently been some big-name figures that have spoken out in support of the movement, including several gym leaders. Their official stance is that the League should heavily pressure Johto into modernizing. Basically, a thinly veiled threat. Concerningly, there have been reports that some of their more extreme members advocate for annexing Johto and assuming control of the entire region."
"That sounds bad, but how does that relate to your job?" Ellie asked patiently as she added some artificial ground meat to the skillet.
"Okay, so you know how Fuchsia is fairly old-fashioned? At least compared to most of Kanto?"
"Yup, it feels a lot like home for the most part," Ellie confirmed, nodding as she stirred the concoction.
"Basically, many of Fuchsia's local representatives are traditionalists and thus highly susceptible to the rhetoric the new group is putting out. When we first arrived at the start of the year, they had been slowly coming along, believing that it might be okay to add some Johtan pokémon. However, with the public eye on the perceived Johtan inadequacy, the idea has taken hold that Johto is less successful because their pokémon are weaker."
"In response, the traditionalists have doubled down on their initial resistance, making it impossible for the JTP to go forward. They don't want to risk 'diluting' their powerful Kantonian pokémon. Jamie is the only one at the Safari Zone who understands what's going on and has my back with the project's…hiccups. We'll call them for the sake of my mental health. The rest of the bloody researchers don't pay attention to this type of thing since they're purely focused on what's best for the Zone and getting to research new pokémon," Mikhail explained, shaking his head in frustration.
"Okay, that sounds pretty stressful. Are Johtan pokémon weaker? I've never thought about that kinda thing, but it doesn't make that much sense to me," Ellie inquired dutifully as she added some pasta sauce to the mix. She was used to this. Since they had only been in the region for less than a year, it had become something like a tradition for her to cook while listening to her dad vent about his job.
She could usually get by through various yesses, grunts, and loose restatements of her dad's words.
"It is very stressful. I'm afraid I will lose my job if this fails one more time, and then we would have to move back to Johto, and you would probably have to live with your mom. The only reason I ended up getting custody was because of the huge raise the Safari Zone was granting me. Regarding your other question, I don't believe Johtan pokémon are weaker. There has indeed been less competitive success, but I think it has to do more with cultural differences than actual pokémon differences. Johto simply cares more about beauty and elegance than battling. I mean, look at the pokemon contest circuit here compared to back home. There's no competition," Mikhail stated firmly.
Ellie methodically filled up a pot of water, set it on the burner, and added a bit of salt to help it boil. "You're totally right! I was watching a competition from Olivine before you got here, and they're super good compared to the competitions here! What do you think would start to change people's minds? Do they just need to see strong Johtan pokémon? Or have someone from Johto win some important battles?" Ellie asked absently as she added some pasta to the now boiling water.
An uncomfortable silence rang through the household as Mikhail pondered Ellie's last comment.
"You make it sound so simple. I've been so fixated on my frustration that I didn't even think of the problem as something solvable," Mikhail reluctantly admitted. "People here really watch the gym circuit religiously, don't they?"
"Yup! It's all my classmates can talk about. Most of them can't wait to start the gym challenge in June after classes are out. It's honestly annoying how obsessed they are."
'OH," Ellie exlaimed excitedly. "I remembered where I heard that Seiichi name from! Apparently, that family is crazy strong, even for Kanto. The head of the family is the gym leader here, and I heard that she turned down an offer to join the Elite Four before she settled on running the gym. Her daughter is some kind of prodigy; half the kids here idolize her, and the other half are terrified."
Ellie giggled, recalling her classmates' awed expressions as they gossiped reverently about the Seiichi daughter.
"I heard she has a little brother that's going to start the circuit this year, too," Ellie explained as she dished up two plates of spaghetti and sat down for dinner.
Mikhail's eyes sparked in remembrance. "That's right! I think I mentioned Jamie earlier. He talked about them a lot and had me over for dinner when I first arrived, before you joined me. His children seem remarkably well-behaved, although that daughter of his is a little intense for me. There's something about her that sets me ill at ease."
Mikhail paused to take a bite of the steaming dish before continuing, "Jamie also wants to push the JTP forward, and I believe his wife, Kiriel, is one of the only gym leaders who has spoken out against the KFP. Poor boy, I didn't realize Mare would start the challenge this year. Kiriel only has a few years of eligibility left, so there is a lot of pressure for one of her kids to take over the gym after she retires. Can you imagine having an older sister who was the talk of the nation?"
Ellie shuddered as she thought about being in the other teenager's situation. "That sounds terrible," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'm very grateful you don't force me to do anything with my pokémon. I don't have much interest in battling. I want my pokémon to be cute and loving and adorable. It would be nice to have a scary older sister in some ways. I doubt he ever has to worry about getting bullied. The way they talk about that girl, she could probably just walk up and stare at them, and they'd pee their pants."
"Ha! I love you too, sweety. We can both be grateful we didn't grow up like that. I've never been much for battling, either. I don't know how Jamie puts up with a family like that. After all, the man has a Chansey, of all pokémon!" he joked before looking at Ellie seriously.
"Are you still getting grief from some of the other kids? Do you want me to call the school and see if there's anything they can do?"
Ellie shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing that I can't handle. I'm just a little bit lonely here. I dunno’ about that KFP thing you mentioned, but it might be affecting some other kids too because they don't seem to want anything to do with me," she admitted sadly before turning the conversation away from her per usual.
"But enough about me! Why don't you just ask them for help? Jamie's family, I mean?" Ellie asked as she dug into her spaghetti.
Eyes widening in realization, Mikhail quickly forgot his hunger. "Ellie, you're a goddamn genius. You're absolutely right! I can use my connections in Johto to get the Seiichi something to raise that'll draw some eyes. They will probably be particular, but I think I can pull some strings. There's so much attention on them that they will get into the news immediately or on one of those battle websites. I'm sure they'll agree; they only stand to gain from it!" Mikhail shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.
"But that only covers one half of the problem. Even if they see a powerful Johtan pokémon, they'll be able to rationalize it as the success of a Kantonian trainer… we're missing something here," he said, wrinkling his brow in concentration as he forced his tired brain to think.
"Duh, it's obvious, dad. Doncha' just need one successful Johtan trainer?" Ellie responded, finishing up her dish as she moved to wash it in their cramped kitchen.
Mikhail only stared back at Ellie as his mind whirred with possibilities.