Cynthia skimmed through the paper in front of her and shuffled it back into the stack. Her eyes flicked up to the massive screen on the wall, large enough that even the richest home theater enthusiast would be jealous. A snort from the corner signified Garchomp’s continued rest. Other than that, Cynthia could only hear the soft ticking of an analog clock.
Seconds counted down and minutes passed by until the screen she was staring at finally flashed on. The first person to join finally appeared on the screen. Hosting meetings in person required too many shifts in schedule, so these events almost always happened over call.
Cynthia smiled at the man as he pretended to casually adjust his tie.
"Steven," Cynthia said with a smile.
"Cynthia. I see I'm the first one here."
"You are. It should be everyone today. Our plans should be set in motion soon enough.”
Steven bowed his head ever so slightly, and he looked down to read through documents of his own. Cynthia fidgeted in her seat slightly as she waited. The others were taking longer to join than she thought.
Eventually, the next person joined, then the next. The representatives of the primary regions of the Pokémon League joined the call.
Lance, interim Champion of Kanto and Johto, sat in a high backed chair with an almost regal look on his face. Cynthia wasn’t as close to him as she would have liked, but she had competed in a few Blackthorn tournaments his family had hosted. Sinnoh had close ties to Johto, though their actual communication tended to be lax.
After Lance, Diantha, Champion of Kalos, joined the meeting, looking as elegant as she always did. Her white, sparkling outfit was immaculate as always. A Gardevoir stood at her side, her ace Pokémon showing its support like usual.
The Champion of Unova, Alder, appeared on the screen as well, but his expression was nowhere near as confident as the rest. He hung his head slightly and bags were under his eyes. While he attempted to keep a cheerful expression on his face, it was clear he still hadn’t gotten back his drive.
Cynthia expected the representative for Alola or at least the representative for Galar to be next, but someone else entirely joined the call. It was only a somewhat familiar face. Cynthia had never met her in person before.
"Geeta."
It was Lance’s tone that greeted Paldea’s Champion, and it came out acrid and terse. While Cynthia personally had no problems with the Champion in question, her methods of managing Paldea had left a bad taste in some people’s mouths. Not every Champion was as hands on and demanding as her, and her controversial climb to obtain her seat didn’t quite appeal to Lance’s standards of raw, brute force.
"Hello, Lance. Hello, Champions," Geeta said.
A rather draconic growl escaped Lance's lips. An amused smile appeared on Steven’s face for the slightest of moments.
“It’s nice to see you, Geeta. I wasn’t aware you would be joining,” Cynthia said.
“Ah. President Goodshow offered the invitation himself. Paldea is close to becoming a primary member of the Pokémon League. It would make sense if I were to sit in on these meetings in preparation for such, yes?”
Cynthia smiled and calmly nodded her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by the next member joining as well.
"Hey there! Glad to see I made it on time!"
This man was tanned and dressed in an open white lab coat and a white cap on his head. His smile was brilliant, and while not a Champion himself, he had the power and right to represent Alola on behalf of the League’s interests.
"Professor Kukui," Cynthia said to greet him.
"Kukui," Geeta said much more coolly.
Kukui grinned and held up his hands in a peace sign before settling back down. A Rockruff played with a toy in the background, showing he was participating in his own house. Any pleasantries from Geeta seemed to fade at his presence. After all, Alola was a primary Pokémon League member without having an official Gym Circuit of its own. For someone working so hard to bring her region up to par, Kukui’s presence in this call was almost an insult on its own.
Eventually, the final Champion, Galar’s Leon, connected to the call. A regal cloak was draped over his shoulders, and the front of his hair was flipped up like a crown.
He was five minutes late.
"I—"
"Bwhahaha!"
Leon didn't get to speak. Whatever excuse he had didn’t get the chance to be shared before the final member of the call managed to join. Charles Goodshow, President of the Pokémon League, appeared in his own square on the wall. The diminutive, white-haired old man smiled so brightly that his grin practically took up the entire screen.
"Sorry for being late! Agatha was really letting me have it for overfeeding her Gengar again. It's not my fault if they love the treats I bring so much."
He laughed again. For some reason, Steven stifled a smirk. Cynthia noticed, but didn’t comment.
"So, since everyone is here—Glad to see you, Geeta,” Charles said. “I do believe we can go ahead and start! Cynthia, the floor is yours."
The call was already quiet, but it felt as though a blanket of silence was now pressed down over her shoulders. She’d given presentations before and had made wide-sweeping decisions in the past, but never had Cynthia tried to change a basic structure of the League. Cynthia had always enjoyed studying history. Today, she might be responsible for some.
She cleared her throat and steeled her expression. It was time to begin.
"For decades, the Pokémon League has served as the organization that unites our regions. It provides a set of universal standards, free travel between, and allyship in times of need. Every region who has fully adopted the Pokémon League follows the same hierarchical structure: A Champion that leads, an Elite Four that supports, and a set of Gym Leaders and Ace Trainers that manage specific, local areas. When trouble hits a region, Ace Trainers are expected to handle the problem, and if they can’t, then the Gym Leaders, then the Elite Four, then the Champion, and then we call for help. This had stood on its own since the very beginning, but in recent years..."
"Galactic. Rocket. Magma. Flare. Plasma."
Each representative either winced or narrowed their eyes when their region’s respective criminal organization was brought up. Lance seemed the least affected, simply narrowing his eyes, but Alder flat out hung his head in shame.
"A wave of terrorist activity has swept our regions—a wave that has carried the potential for catastrophic consequences for the world at large. Rocket is constantly expanding. Team Magma and Aqua planned to irreparably damage the worldwide ecosystem. Galactic and Flare, well, we wouldn’t be sitting here if they had succeeded.”
It was only the hand of her Gardevoir being placed on her shoulder that stopped Diantha’s shudder.
"I bring this up to point out a flaw in our organization's design: when our hierarchy is overwhelmed, there is nothing we can do. Champions are bound to protect their regions, only allowing them to assist other regions in extremely specific circumstances. The Elite Four are much the same, and Gym Leaders are bound to their Gyms. It is only the Ace Trainers that are available to be sent for assistance freely, but many times over, they simply lack the strength to make a significant difference.”
"So, my proposal is this: we recruit trainers unbound by loyalty to a specific region, and we support them to grow into the level of an elite. They would not be stuck in a single region, sworn to protect it over others. They would be free to travel to detect and solve issues they encounter, freeing up resources and pressure on the Pokémon League of the area.”
Cynthia had more to say on this topic, but she didn’t have the chance to continue. A sudden BANG! rang out, and Champion Lance stared at his camera, almost visibly fuming.
“You seek to make an Elite Four not bound to a region,” he accused.
“I do. If so many criminal organizations crop up at once as they are now, we will not need to suffer the consequences again.”
The sound of Lance’s teeth grinding together was almost audible through his own projected image. Lance was a man rare to approach anger, but he could be headstrong at times. It was when his authority was undermined that he tended to react in such a way.
Cynthia had to admit that on paper, her plan was ridiculous. She was essentially proposing introducing individuals with high power able to roam the world and carry the Pokémon League’s authority with them. The position was ripe for the misuse of power, especially since the role carried the ranking to go against a high-ranking official’s orders.
What Cynthia did not say is that they already had people who filled such roles. There were trainers independent of the Pokémon League roaming around with incredible power, and they weren’t sworn to anywhere specific. She knew of such people quite personally, as two of them had competed in her region’s last Conference.
“If I may,” Steven interrupted. Lance’s teeth grinding momentarily paused. “As someone who has assisted in the takedown of criminals across three different regions in the past two years, I feel as though I have a unique perspective on this situation.”
Cynthia waved her hand to give Steven permission to speak.
“I fought against Team Magma. I assisted in the decommission of the Kalosian superweapon. I battled Hunter J several times over. I have the power of a Pokémon League Champion, but I was only capable of serving in this manner due to an unfortunately enforced vacation. Cynthia’s point rings true. I was able to significantly lessen the impact of these criminals through my own presence.
“However, I would have been unable to assist if it were any other time. The presence of so many recent criminal groups proves one thing that worries me: how can we help one another if we are unable to leave our own region in question? We need people who work with us that can make a difference.”
Steven’s support was met with a considerate silence, one that was less uncomfortable than what Cynthia had expected. She scanned through each of the representatives’ reactions, holding back her smile when she saw that the majority were actually considering the proposal.
Leon was the first to nod to show his assent, followed by both Alder and Kukui. Diantha joined soon after, and, begrudgingly, Geeta nodded her head as if she had the authority to reply.
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However, Lance didn’t accept the thought just yet. He spoke up for one last question.
“How would these trainers be chosen? You’re trying to establish a flexible, elite role, essentially. I would be loathe if one region’s choices filled every slot.”
“I think it would be best if each region had the right to choose one trainer on its behalf, either from merit or to represent them on behalf of the League,” Cynthia replied. “I recognize that it would be difficult to find strong trainers willing to be loyal to the League as a whole rather than a specific region, but I feel enough trainers pass through the various circuits that at least few stand out.”
Cynthia had chosen her words carefully. She purposefully didn’t say that a Champion could choose a specific trainer; she specifically stated that a region would choose each trainer. Lance sat as the current Champion of both Kanto and Johto. He would have the authority to suggest two trainers for such a role rather than just one. It was an advantage in his favor, a slight advantage, but still an advantage. Cynthia offered him an olive branch, and based on the brief look of satisfaction on his face, she could tell it had won him over.
“We’ll look over the details when you send up the specifics, Cynthia,” Charles Goodshow eventually said. “But... I am curious. Your requirements are oddly specific. Did you have someone already in mind?”
Cynthia kept her face perfectly level as Charles Goodshow smiled knowingly. He seemed amused, and Cynthia did her best to not reveal how much his words had caught her off guard.
Of course he saw through her almost right away. He wasn’t the Pokémon League President for no reason at all.
“...I do,” Cynthia admitted. “They’re...”
“Alex, the one sponsored by Professor Sycamore,” Steven interjected. “If the name doesn’t sound familiar, Alex’s achievements most likely are. Not only is Alex the most recent Lily of the Valley Conference champion, but Team Magma, Team Flare, and, recently, Hunter J, have all fallen to their team’s efforts.”
Lance blinked in surprise, and Charles began to hum. Unexpectedly, Leon seemed to be the one most interested in what Steven was saying. While all Champions were battle-hungry, Leon was more battle-hungry than most.
“And you support this choice, Steven?” Charles Goodshow said.
“If she didn’t push Alex forward, I would have done so in her place.”
“I feel the same way,” a third person spoke.
Cynthia’s eyes widened, and Steven’s did as well. The third vote of support in Alex’s favor was unexpected, but, if anyone was to give it, Diantha’s addition made the most sense.
“Alex personally defeated Lysandre during Team Flare’s attempt to conquer the Diamond Domain. Alex also proved to be a friend of not one, but two different Legendaries in Kalos. Not to mention the Mega Evolution Guru had high praise for Alex’s Mega Evolution capabilities.”
Cynthia hadn’t expected to get this far in one meeting. The other Champions weren’t objecting in the slightest. Instead, they were sitting there and thinking about the choice. They weren’t thinking about whether or not to decline her proposal, they were already thinking of what trainers would fill the role. With that kind of thought behind it, the decision was basically as good as done.
Cynthia smiled. She could feel the gears of history grinding at every turn.
“Does anyone object?” Charles asked.
No one spoke up in opposition.
“Then I believe we already have the first member of this wandering elite corp that Cynthia has proposed. We can hash out the full details of what the job entails once we have a chance to properly look it over. But, since we’re all here, are there any other topics that need to be discussed?”
“Yes,” Steven interjected. “I believe there is.”
Cynthia looked as surprised as the rest of the Champions. The only one who didn’t seem surprised was Kukui of Alola.
“I believe it’s finally time to talk about Alola’s expansion of their local Pokémon League.”
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I kept the dozing Togepi nestled in the crook of my arm as Dedenne leaned back on the room's bed, his tiny feet propped up in front of him. He curled one paw under his chin while another tapped on his stomach in thought.
I didn’t mention it, but he had crumbs all over his whiskers. Clearly he had just eaten a bit more of the food he had stolen from somewhere. He thought he was clever. He was not.
“So what do you think? Does anything stand out?”
With my victory in the Lily of the Valley Conference, I had been awarded the option to select ten different TMs. That meant I could choose any ten moves regardless of rarity and use those to add to my team’s movepools. Even just choosing a rare move to potentially use in the future was an option. The possibilities felt limitless.
For now, though, I was asking around my team for any specific moves they might be interested in learning. I had a list of TMs known to work for each of my Pokémon's species on the table in front of me, and I'd been spending my time presenting the list to each of my Pokémon.
Dedenne's case was the most pertinent, as he only knew one Type of moves, though he was going last. When all of his attacks were electric, a strong Ground Type or a Pokémon with Volt Absorb would completely shut him down. The solution was to learn Fairy Type moves, of course, but I didn’t want him to miss out on this chance. His species made it so his selection was slim, but he at least had a tiny handful of attacks to choose from.
Dedenne held up a paw with three fingers held up, then he paused and did the same with both to signify seven. That meant he was choosing two moves I had described—two moves I hadn’t really expected him to accept.
The first was Seed Bomb, a physical move that attacked from range. It wouldn’t be the strongest of attacks for Dedenne, but it would be unexpected and help cover his weakness to Ground.
The second move wasn’t an attacking move, though. One of Dedenne’s strengths was the large number of supporting and utility moves he could learn. He didn’t have the Prankster ability, but he did have the spirit.
Recycle would let Dedenne effectively take one item and use it as much as he wanted. It wasn’t as perfect of a move in the games—Dedenne couldn’t eat from one berry forever—but he could ensure that the scraps of any consumable item he brought with him could be reused multiple times in the same battle.
“Good choices. I don’t have any comments.”
Dedenne squeaked in excitement, and he scurried up my arm. I wrote down his choices on a separate paper, then I scanned it over to see what we had.
Seed Bomb and Recycle. That was it.
It was kind of embarrassing that over eleven Pokémon, we’d only selected two moves in total. The thing was, everyone was stuck by their choices. Not only did a good portion of the team already approach the maximum number of moves they could keep battle-ready at once, but for the individuals who needed more moves, there were simply too many options. It was choice paralysis, through and through. I knew there were definitely moves some of them were considering, but they had to decide between learning it on their own and using a TM.
There wasn’t a limit on how long I could wait to choose, but the implication was that the sooner the better. I’d expected my team to settle on their decisions eventually.
"Hey! Training starts in ten!"
The sudden shout from outside the room caused me to literally jump in my seat. Togepi yawned, waking up from the sudden movement, and she smiled and put one of her hands on my chin. I smiled at her right back before apologizing to both of my Pokémon. I returned them to their Pokéballs before rushing to get ready for where I was supposed to go.
I was going to be trained. Not my Pokémon, but me, as an individual, was going to be trained by the League. I might not have known whether or not Cynthia's proposal was accepted, but every League trainer had to go through this training at least once, even the Champion. It made sense to get it out of the way.
Currently, I was back on Lily of the Valley island. Everything regarding the Conference had been cleaned up, but the location still served as the headquarters of the Pokémon League for the region. This building was built into the mountainside, rather than the valley. For any unwanted guests, it was well defended enough that it would take more than just the casual walk up the port-connecting path to get this high.
My jacket was dumped on a chair, and Valerie's wonderfully designed clothes were put aside. This room would be mine for the duration of this training, meaning I could leave whatever I wanted here without worrying about theft.
My clothes were replaced with a much simpler outfit: a pair of tight shorts and a long, baggy shirt. The words "LEAGUE TRAINEE" were printed across the white fabric, and it left my legs and arms completely exposed. When I stepped outside, I immediately clutched myself to shiver. These clothes were not intended to be used in Sinnoh's cold state.
There was a simple dirt track setup with lines in a circle drawn in the dirt. Obstacles like a wall to climb over and tires in the ground were set up throughout it. A small group of trainers I recognized from the Conference chatted idly among themselves. All were wearing the same outfit I had in the same space.
At the back of the group, an old, grey-haired woman stood at attention. She wasn't very tall, having shrunken with age, but her presence made her stand out between everyone else. Besides her, a large Hippowdon grumbled in its sleep. Its black hide caused it to stick out from the sand and dirt around it.
"Good. Everyone's here," Bertha said. Everyone turned her way as she cleared her throat. "First off, welcome to the ranks of the Pokémon League. Not just anyone can be invited to become an Ace Trainer. Give yourself a round of applause."
A few people clapped. Bertha smiled softly.
"Each year, the Pokémon League recruits a new flock of Ace Trainers from the Pokémon League Conference. The three month break between seasons will help serve to train all of you. For our first month, you'll go through physical conditioning to ensure your capabilities from your journey are up to par, and the second month will see you split up for more specialized training across the region. Additionally, at the end of each week, you will be tested on your knowledge of the League's rules. Exercise by day, studying by night. A good schedule, if I do say so myself."
I could see the other trainers here glancing around excitedly at Bertha's words. She was a member of the Elite Four, so even if she wasn't helping directly with our Pokémon, simply being around her meant she could provide useful wisdom for training a team. This experience would be invaluable, in a way, but the grin that was growing onto Bertha's face was slowly filling me with dread.
"But, that's the future. We still need to check your baseline. We have an obstacle course set up that you will all be timed as you go through. We'll start right now, then. Run."
Bertha said that so calmly that most trainers didn't realize it was a command. A few of them turned to the course, unhappily taking the entire thing in.
I and a few other trainers were already running. I could feel my heart pounding—not out of exhaustion, but out of fear.
Behind me, people started to scream.
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If you went too slow, Bertha's Ground Types opened up a pit. If you went too fast, Bertha's Ground Types opened up a pit. In fact, if you did anything at all, Bertha's Ground Types opened up a pit.
Trainers were supposed to have a certain level of physical confidence from traveling around the region. Ace Trainers were on the field more often than not, which meant they needed to be ready to move at a moment's notice. When dealing with potentially dangerous creatures like angry wild Pokémon or those trained by criminals, trainers couldn't just stay on the sidelines and watch. They had to run around, follow the fight, and be prepared to dodge if any attacks drifted their way.
So, all the trainees had to run through the obstacle course while predicting attacks from Bertha. I'd been through a lot, and this was the worst.
Afterwards, a group of student nurses visited us, taking a yearly course that helped them learn how to treat exhaustion. Exhaustion was the most common reason why a Pokémon was checked into a Pokémon Center, and as trainees undergoing grueling training, we were basically the perfect practice for them.
We were given lotions and medicines that would relieve our pain. Afterwards, meals were complementary, but they were tightly monitored by the staff. The treatment was designed to make sure we would be restored overnight while also promoting physical growth. The level of care made me almost feel like I was a Pokémon.
The mornings were spent exercising. The nights were spent studying. On the weekends, there were reviews and classes on League rules and administration, but it wouldn't be until next month that the field applications would be taught in depth. Everything was set up to ensure we could be model trainers, building us up mind, body, and soul to properly represent the League.
But, this was the Pokémon League. Our team members had their own opportunities as well.
With how the League was set up, Gyms had nine months of straight battles and three months off. During those three months Gym Trainers and Leaders were still on the hook for local responsibilities, but there was a lot more freedom of schedule. Some Gym Trainers and even a few Ace Trainers took advantage of this added freedom to earn extra money running programs based on Type. While the trainers suffered through intense exercises, there were options to train Pokémon as well. As we were trainees, the programs were completely free.
My team was split up during these days, and it wasn't just the six I kept on me. Since I was busy training to become physically fit by the League, I technically didn't have any Pokémon with me. So, there was no limit on how many team members I could sign up, and every member of my team had a chance to train.
Whimsicott and Florges participated with the Grass Types, Dedenne trained with Electric. Carbink practically led a group of Rock Types when it came to being sturdy, and Altaria flocked with a class of birds.
The Pokémon on my team to benefit from this the most were Ninetales, Mawile, and my two Psychic Types. Ninetales didn't get to train with other Ice Types that often, so she was able to push herself to even colder temperatures than normal. Something similar was true with Mawile, as she was able to see exactly what a Steel Type body could withstand. As for Gardevoir and Rapidash, Ace Trainers who worked under Lucian taught them insights into how to more effectively control their minds.
Finally, with Azumarill and Togepi, Azumarill stuck with Crasher Wake, and Togepi joined a program for weaker Pokémon. It was like a kindergarten, except it was built around fighting. Every day when I collected her, she had a bruise on her body or a crack in her shell, yet she always had the biggest smile and would be accompanied by a friend.
Day after day, this training progressed, and I could see the gains coming in as I went. I already had some muscle from traveling around, but this world's expertise in medicine meant I was becoming fitter at an unprecedented rate. I was lean, with muscles being built from use and my body becoming more healthily proportioned. My stamina practically skyrocketed, allowing me to run almost triple the distance without getting as exhausted as before.
Eventually, though, the first month of this passed. Bertha met up with us once more. Her responsibilities as a member of Sinnoh's Elite Four meant she wasn't always directly training us, but she had shown up enough to maintain a proper supervisory role.
"Congratulations for surviving the first month."
Someone actually cheered when Bertha said that. Personally, I actually felt almost as accomplished as when my team won the Lily of the Valley cup.
"Your bodies have been forged anew, but remember that it will not last if it is not properly maintained. Phase one of your training period is now complete, so we will be moving on to phase two."
Bertha started to call out names and locations unprompted. She would give orders like "John and Jack, Sunyshore," or "Larry and Linda, Snowpoint." Everyone was assigned to either a town or a Gym, where I assumed they would be given more information.
That is, everyone but me.
As the final trainee of the group walked away, I was left with Bertha on the field. The old woman looked slightly amused. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about what she was about to say.
"The proposal was accepted. It was accepted a week ago, in fact," she said.
I almost collapsed to the ground. That was a big relief.
"Most League trainers receive specific training decided by either their specialty or mindset. They must learn how to properly command their teams in emergency situations and enforce the League's rules. Your situation is a bit different, both due to your already lengthy experience and the rarity of your team's Type. Unfortunately, Sinnoh does not have the resources to properly train you in this. We can lecture you on the rules all we wish, but we both know that's not why you're here."
"Does this mean my training is over?"
"It does not."
That was both good news and a disappointment.
"Sinnoh cannot properly train you for your role, but that does not mean another region cannot. For your benefit, you will be sent to Hoenn for special training and to meet the one who will train you individually. You'll have your own set of responsibilities, mostly determined by your own actions. The League will make sure that you do not leave here bereft of the proper knowledge."
Hoenn. The region where I originally started my journey. It was the place I caught half of my team, and seemingly out of nowhere, I would now be returning.
But, someone was going to train me. There weren't any Fairy Type specialists there I could think of. Who did they think would help?
Bertha scoffed, interrupting my thoughts.
"Oh, don't look so excited to leave," she said. "We still have one more thing to take care of here."
"Huh? What is it?"
Bertha smirked.
"A certain reward for the Lily of the Valley Conference has been delayed long enough, now that your dedicated month of training is complete. As travel to another region will take a few days, I imagine this is a good time to meet the newest member of your team."
As she said that, I smiled both out of nerves and out of excitement.
I had absolutely no idea what Pokémon it would be.