CHAPTER 30 — United We Stand

There was no other way for Lance to put it.

It was fucking chaos at the Indigo League Headquarters.

Officials were running around everywhere and barking orders through phones to League Trainers spread out across the country. In the background, their phone lines had been ringing nonstop ever since the emergency broadcast. There were calls coming in from prominent Indigo politicians and businessmen demanding to know whether or not their country — and their assets — would be fine, retired war veterans yelling for them to get an army together already, and immoral reporters who wanted to add fuel to the fire.

He couldn't forget the calls from the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues either.

Champions Steven Stone and Cynthia Shirona had both contacted him already to ask about the situation. He couldn't tell them a lot (not that there was much information to give anyway), and they'd all left the joint call feeling unsatisfied.

He understood their concerns. Ever since their four regions had officially linked up several years ago, they were considered 'allies' in a sense. They stayed out of each other's political business, but they willingly conducted trade with each other and allowed their trainers to go and compete in foreign League Circuits. In fact, every year, each region saw a grand mix of tourists and incoming trainers flooding in.

It was no different this year. There were thousands of trainers from Hoenn and Sinnoh who had come to take on the Kanto and Johto Circuits, and many of them had qualified for the Silver Conference that would be taking place in three days. Steven and Cynthia were worried about their people getting caught up in the re-emergence of Team Rocket.

The Silver Conference. If Lance had to pick one time that the Rockets would strike, it would be that day.

All the strongest trainers in the region would be gathered there to compete, and the pillars of Johto would be there as well for the opening ceremony. It was the perfect time for the Rockets to strike at the rest of Indigo with half of its Gym Leaders gone, or if they were arrogant enough, to take out so many prominent figures at the stadium in one fell swoop.

Either path would lead to doom and destruction, not to mention strains on international relations. Kanto-Johto would come under fire if innocent trainers from Hoenn and Sinnoh died as a result of their country's new mess. Even if Lance thought the Silver Conference was the most likely day for an attack, he simply couldn't cancel such a monumental event. It was part of their nation's very history.

Of course, he was operating under many different assumptions here. If it was even Team Rocket in the first place, how big or strong their forces were, their goals… Lance had no true idea about any of it.

It was frustrating, so damn frustrating.

He rubbed his temples tiredly and hung his head low. Without even bothering to look up, he verbalized his thoughts out loud. "Why did they not attack today? What was the point of sending out that message?"

"We went over this already," Lorelei said politely from whatever corner of his office she was in. Minus Koga who was out on reconnaissance with the rest of his clan, the Elite Four members were there with him. They'd met up to discuss in private. "We all agreed it was to instill terror in the public and incite widespread panic."

"It's the same thing they did twenty years ago," Agatha added gravely, and Lance heard a faint tapping sound. Probably Agatha's cane against the floor. "For five years, they carried out terrible acts and slowly but surely plunged all of Indigo into fear. Then… they declared war."

Lance closed his eyes. He knew better than anyone the horrors of the Rocket War. It had taken people from him and his cousin.

They'd both lost their parents.

He took a moment to breathe out through his nose before speaking. "Whatever threat this is, we will take care of it. This will not escalate into another war," he said tersely.

The room was quiet for several long seconds. Each of them was lost either in grim thoughts or memories of the past. A slight shuffling sound came somewhere from Lance's left, and then Bruno's voice filled the air.

"There is some good news," the Elite Four said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Lance opened his eyes and found himself staring at Bruno's usual stern expression. To his astonishment, the man's lips twitched upwards into the briefest of reassuring smiles. "You did well with your speech, Lance. People trust you and our League to handle this. There are hardly any reports about widespread panic. The Rockets or whoever they are failed in that aspect at least."

Despite the situation, Lance found himself smiling for the briefest of moments, too.

"…No. It wasn't because of me," he said with a shake of his head. "It's because we are strong. Indigo is strong." In a louder voice, he went on. "Things have changed in the last decade, and we've entered a new era of peace and prosperity. The Rocket War was a horrible ordeal, but it made us stronger."

He looked all his Elites in the eye.

"We will not yield."

One by one, the others bowed their heads with respect and echoed the same.

Indigo would not yield.

----------------------------------------

I didn't go home straight away after my broadcast to the locals. I had to ensure the city's defenses first.

My first stop was the Cherrygrove City Police Department's HQ. The League had issued warnings to all local law enforcement authorities already. Despite it being a national holiday, the urgency of the situation meant all officers had gathered back at their precincts to hash out security details. I personally met with the CCPD's chief and left after he assured me they were guarding the city with full vigilance.

Then I went a few streets over to the League Defense Force building, otherwise known as LDF. Every city or town had an LDF branch office with League Trainers assigned to that location by the government. Where the police dealt with ordinary crime and civil disputes, the LDF officers were there to deal with bigger and usually external threats that the police couldn't handle. The strength of League Trainers varied, but they were always at the level of a fifth-badge trainer or higher. The best ones were known as Ace Trainers. These were people at the level of high-ranking Conference-goers. The Cherrygrove LDF branch had three of them, and they informed me their office would be coordinating more closely with the police henceforth.

Next, I visited the local Ranger outpost by Cherrygrove's northern exit. Due to how relatively safe the nearby routes were compared to others in the region, there weren't a lot of Rangers stationed here. I spoke with the head Ranger about security measures going forward, and we agreed to increase the number of patrols on both our ends. I made sure to emphasize calling me or the officers in town if they ran into trouble.

Compared to the police or LDF, Rangers were specialized in dealing with wild Pokemon. They preserved the tentative peace between human settlements and the creatures beyond their borders by acting as bridges between the two. They were required to have some combat experience due to occasional poachers and the like, but fighting people was not their specialty.

All of us would cover for each other. What one group struggled with, the other forces would fill in the gaps for them. I finally went home once I was satisfied that the city was in good hands.

I Teleported into a completely silent backyard.

The barbeque party had halted in its tracks. There were picnic tables covered with plates of food that had gone cold ages ago and half-finished bottles of soda. People huddled in groups or sat stiffly in chairs, but everyone whipped their heads towards me when I appeared.

Dad, Neil, and all my gym employees rose up from their seats as I walked toward them. Yulian had a trembling arm around his frightened sister's shoulders, Yurie looked to be in complete shock, dad had a fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white… Every single one of them was in a state of agitation.

Neil spoke for the group.

"What do we do from here on out?" he asked in a quiet voice. The others all leaned forward subconsciously, waiting for my reply.

Slowly, I swept my gaze across their faces. "The League is still investigating what happened today. For the time being, everyone is to be on high alert. I've already spoken to the local authorities and warned them, too."

"Any measures we're taking?" Murata cautiously spoke up. I gave a brief nod in response.

"There will be changes to the patrol schedule effective immediately," I replied. "You'll be going in groups of three instead of two like before, and you'll be required to have your GPS turned on at all times. Check in with me or Neil every ten minutes."

Everyone nodded with serious expressions. My youngest gym trainers, Souta and Haru, looked the most shaken, and I didn't blame them.

No one could have expected that a vanquished criminal organization from fifteen years ago would suddenly show up again.

In a louder voice, I addressed everyone at large.

"What happened today was unsettling, but… don't be scared," I paused, clenching a fist. What I was about to say was for my own sake as much as everyone else's. "Whether Team Rocket was behind today's message or not, the point was to make people panic. That's what they want to see. Stay vigilant, but like Champion Lance said… the League will take care of everything. Trust in them, and trust in me to keep our city safe."

I held each person's gaze for the briefest of seconds, willing them to see how deadly serious I was about all this. Eventually, I received a chorus of quiet yeses in return.

A few people were already looking better — especially Yurie, who seemed fired up — but most of them still looked anxious. I needed a moment to form a genuine smile, but when I did, I jerked my head in the direction of the lonely grills.

"We've got officers patrolling the city and surrounding areas right now, so there's nothing for us to do," I said. "We'll start our own patrols tomorrow. For now… let's finish this barbeque."

Even in the midst of such troubling times, we needed to keep our spirits up. The moment we let fear and worries about the future overtake everything else in our lives, that was the moment when evil would truly win.

There was still a somber atmosphere, but it lightened up considerably as people shuffled off to get their food reheated. Neil went to man the grills as dad stayed behind to talk to me. His fist was no longer clenched, but the look in his eyes was one of utmost determination.

"Arin, include me in the patrols from now on as well," he said firmly. "My Pokemon and I will help."

Somehow, I was not surprised by this. I'd had a feeling dad would want a part of the action.

"That's…" I trailed off.

Dad noticed my obvious hesitation and pressed onward. "I can't, in good conscience, just sit around while the rest of you are working hard," he explained. "I'm a former Gym Leader, Arin. I care about Cherrygrove as much as you do, and… I owe it to my Pokemon to do what I can."

Even without the slight clenching of his jaw, I knew that dad was referring not just to his living team members but the ones who had passed away in the Rocket War. He had personal stakes in this.

I had been hesitating because of dad's health, but I couldn't deny him the right he had as both a worried citizen and the former Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym. I couldn't deny that the extra help would be invaluable either. Dad's Pokemon were all Elites who had experience fighting Rockets.

"Okay," I relented. That one word pleased dad greatly to the point where his eyes actually lit up. "But promise me you'll be careful, dad."

"I should be the one saying that to you," Dad replied, and he placed a warm hand on my shoulder. His voice was hoarse. "You're a Gym Leader now, and that means you have duties you must fulfill. But please…"

Dad paused, needing a moment to collect himself. "Stay safe."

I only spoke two soft words.

"I will."

We stared at one another for a moment. Then, wordlessly, dad let go of my shoulder and drifted away to where Neil was. A long sigh escaped my mouth as I stared after him. We were each other's last remaining family, and we both couldn't help but worry.

This time, though, I would be the one to protect dad instead of the other way around. I was no longer a child who could do nothing but wait at home.

I just hoped we would never again reach the point where all of Indigo was engulfed by fighting.

I shook my head. It would not do me any good to dwell so early on what was a worst-case scenario. Instead, I focused on the now. I went around the backyard individually checking up on people to make sure they were okay.

In the process, I ended up meeting Murata's wife and daughters. Apparently the kids had gotten sleepy right after the National Day parade aired on TV, so Murata's wife had taken them to a corner of the backyard to nap for a bit. They missed seeing the ominous message as a result. Murata was grateful about that, and so was I. It would have scared his children greatly had they seen it.

Murata himself was surprisingly pretty calm. He was worried about his family, but as a former Ranger once affiliated with the League, he said the following: "I trust our government to take care of the nation."

A conversation with Kari and Yulian revealed they thought the same.

"Our parents worked for the League and died in the Rocket War," Yulian explained to me with a somber expression, and I just barely managed to nod. I remembered seeing them at the national cemetery. "But we don't blame the government. Our parents always said how fulfilling their jobs were. They were… true heroes. I'll trust the League like they did. At least I know for sure our city is safe with a strong trainer like you around."

"Yeah," Kari agreed in a trembling voice, and she cleared her throat. It took a few tries for her to actually form a smile. "Everything's going to be fine! I'm going to, um, rally the Cherrygrove community on social media. Make sure we're all keeping our heads up, you know?"

She no longer looked as scared as she had been earlier, but I had no way of knowing if she truly felt better or if she was merely putting on a brave facade. I did, however, appreciate that she was trying her best to stay optimistic and looking to contribute in her own way.

"Thank you, Kari," I said genuinely, and the girl smiled a little wider.

"No problem! I'll be graduating next week, so I'll have more time to help out. Yulian also finished the website, so you could post a reassuring announcement there…"

I checked in with my other employees after speaking to the Chester siblings. Yurie looked fine now; in fact, she even asked me to slot her in for extra patrols with a blazing expression. Hazel asked a similar request of me, but he was a lot more timid about it. Apparently he wanted to help keep the city safe for his sister which I found admirable.

Haru and Souta were still somewhat rattled, but like the others had, they displayed full confidence in me and the League.

"The Indigo League is capable," Souta said out loud in a reasonably confident voice. It almost felt like he was reciting something he'd read before, but he seemed to believe it.

"Souta's right," Haru nervously agreed. He fiddled with his hands, but he didn't shy away from my gaze. "I don't know much about the government, but you and all our Gym Leaders are really strong."

Even Neil remarked the same as he casually flipped a sausage on the grill.

"The League's been through plenty of bad situations," Neil said simply. He paused for a moment to look at me with an unusually serious expression. "Whoever pulled that stunt today doesn't know what they're messing with. We've beaten evil before, and we'll do it again."

Arceus.

They were all a lot stronger than I gave them credit for. I was immensely reassured that everyone was handling this well, and I felt a bit better.

Then I talked to the researchers and discovered some not ideal news.

"We've been urged by our Leagues to immediately return to our respective regions," Rowan revealed, and he exchanged a glance with Birch. "They're worried we may get caught up in or be targeted by this unknown force."

I barely managed to avoid frowning. Of course today's events would stir up the international community. Sinnoh had dealt with an organization called Team Galactic some time ago, but aside from that, no major criminal organizations had appeared in recent years. They had the right to be worried about citizens currently touring Kanto-Johto, more so prominent figures like their top Professors.

"Are you taking a flight back tomorrow then?" I inquired. I wanted to ask about everything we'd planned, but Birch beat me to it.

"No, no," Birch instantly shot down that idea with a firm shake of his head. "We're staying a little longer, both to publish the research study together and hold the press conference we talked about before. We've already made our intents clear to the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues. We're not going to be scared of an organization hiding in the shadows. In fact…"

He trailed off, letting Rowan continue for him. "We hope to use this research study as a boost to the community's spirits and show cooperation between our regions," Rowan explained. "That's what we had planned in the beginning, but in these troubling circumstances, the impact should be even greater."

Elm popped up at that moment with a nervous smile. "Indeed!" he chimed in after adjusting his glasses. "We may only be Professors, but we can help reassure the public in our own way."

I stared at them with renewed appreciation. Birch and Rowan in particular impressed me. They were willing to stick around despite the danger to finish what they had initially come here to do.

To show my respect, I bowed my head. "Thank you," I said sincerely, and I meant it.

I couldn't see it, but Rowan smiled and raised a hand. "No thanks is necessary. We're researchers, and we're grateful to you for giving us this opportunity in the first place. We owe you many favors," he replied amicably.

Then his voice shifted to a more serious tone. "A suggestion for you though: I understand your current security is good considering your and your father's Elite Pokemon are usually around, but I would advise strengthening it further. Arceus forbid, but poachers or… other forces may aim for these Pokemon after the study is published."

Included in that was Team Rocket, but the words went unspoken. The implication was enough.

I'd already made plans in advance about strengthening security around the house, but it was time to accelerate the timeline. With a new danger afoot, it was simply necessary. The mention of favors had also given me new ideas not just for my own benefit, but for the hopeful future.

With a small smile, I folded my hands behind my back and stared at the Professors meaningfully. "Then… may I make use of some of those favors now?" I asked.

Rowan, Birch, and Elm didn't even hesitate. They all nodded in unison.

That was my cue to continue. "I have two separate favors I'd like to request then. If you could get me some Pokemon, and if Professors Rowan and Birch could speak with your Leagues about…"

Fifteen minutes of discussion later, I slipped away from the trio. I'd laid down the foundations for the future. Now, there was nothing to do but wait. I hadn't felt hungry earlier because of the stress of the morning's events, but I felt like I could actually stomach something now. I was about to head for the tables of reheated food when I stopped in place.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Samuel Oak stood in front of me. I assumed he'd Teleported right back to the party after Lance dismissed him.

"Arin, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

From his expression alone, I knew this was going to be an important conversation. My mind raced with thoughts as I nodded stiffly.

Quietly, I followed Oak out of the backyard. On our way to the front of my house, I saw Daisy sitting by herself in a corner. She was staring off into the distance with a stoic expression, but I didn't have time to dwell on what I'd seen. Oak continued leading me away. He stopped once we had gotten far enough, and then he turned back to look at me.

Even at the meeting at the League Headquarters, he hadn't looked this serious.

"First, I'd like to apologize for Pryce," Oak began stiffly. "I know you said at the meeting you did not mind it, and I myself can understand Pryce's line of reasoning, but… what happened still doesn't sit right with me."

I didn't smile, but I did dip my head in acknowledgement. "He was merely going through possibilities," I replied. Internally, I was grateful for the Professor's words.

Oak's expression softened, but only slightly. "…He was," Oak quietly agreed. "He loves the country. I would not have chosen Pryce as my successor otherwise. That's the first thing I wanted to talk to you about but not my main point."

I stood at full attention as Oak took a deep breath. His figure seemed to become ten times more imposing.

"Perhaps this is unnecessary for me to say and even out of line considering I am no longer Champion, but… I hope you're prepared," Oak said. His voice was quiet, yet he studied me with a gaze so intense I almost flinched away. "I intend to speak with the other Gym Leaders as well when I have time. Whatever this threat is, if they are Rockets or otherwise, please do not underestimate what they're capable of. I… I wouldn't want to see you or the other budding hopes of Indigo lose your futures."

His voice broke a bit at the end. I saw the anguish in Oak's eyes, and I just knew he was thinking of his own tragic experiences.

My throat suddenly felt dry.

This was a warning about true and real consequences. If I was younger, if I hadn't traveled as much as I had and seen or experienced as much as I did, I might have faltered right here and been unable to meet Oak's gaze.

But I had, and I did. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and looked into Oak's eyes with determination.

"I understand," I said firmly. "I've been in dangerous situations before. Perhaps not on the same level as a threat like Team Rocket, but my Pokemon and I do have experience fighting outside of official matches."

If Oak was surprised, he didn't show it. He merely reached out with a hand and patted me so gently on the shoulder that it almost felt like he hadn't made contact at all.

"Good," was all he said in a barely audible whisper, and then he turned and left.

I watched his retreating back with complicated emotions.

The barbeque eventually ended, and everyone went home. The hours continued rolling by. All day, and even during a somber dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about the morning's incident or my conversation with Oak.

It was no wonder then that I had trouble falling asleep that night. I gave up after an hour of shifting around restlessly in bed and walked out to the backyard for fresh air. Lo and behold, all my Pokemon were still up as if they'd been expecting me.

I was hardly surprised. After how many years we'd been together, my Pokemon and I basically knew each other like the backs of our hands… or wings, paws, and so forth.

Everyone huddled around me as I sat down on the grass. They waited patiently for me to speak, so I did.

I carefully explained to them about Team Rocket. I relayed the memories of my childhood, how it had impacted dad and the country going forward, and the atrocities they had committed in their heyday.

I saw eyes narrowing for every crime I listed and every horrific action I described.

"They may be back," I finished somberly. "And we might have to fight them."

When I first came back to Johto, fighting a criminal organization hadn't exactly been in the plans. Team Rocket had been talked about as mere whispers in the wind. Only faint rumors and speculations were thrown around.

Now, that no longer looked to be the case. I would have been lying to myself if I said I was not a little scared. This was an organization I'd grown up hearing horrifying stories about. Like Oak had said, they were not to be underestimated.

But… if I was to become the Gym Leader I aspired to be, then I could not stop here. My fear would become the fuel for courage.

I wanted to say more to my Pokemon. To stress how we had no idea what the future held exactly, that the stakes were in all likelihood higher than any before… but I didn't have to. I looked around at the sea of faces reflected before me and saw only determination.

They understood without me needing to elaborate further.

I stayed up for another hour surrounded by my Pokemon. Wordlessly, I watched them go through the comforting motion of Weaving their Beliefs in the skies above.

This time, the tangible Beliefs glittered coldly with the embers of violence.

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The next day arrived.

I'd already adjusted the patrol schedule and sent it out to all my gym trainers. I did a brief sweep of the city's perimeter with my fliers in the early morning. When I came back, I set off with Haru and Murata. In the afternoon and evening, two other groups of gym trainers went out to patrol the surrounding areas. After dinner, I did an additional sweep in my own time.

There was nothing the whole day.

No attacks or Team Rocket sightings in Cherrygrove, none in the rest of Johto, and none in Kanto. Lance kept us updated.

Then another day passed, and another.

Nothing happened on either of those days as well.

The League's upper ranks were full of tension by this point. All of us felt like this was the calm before the storm, and this was further compounded by the fact that Lance called everyone the night before the Silver Conference began.

He wore a grim expression.

"Since they have not struck yet, I'm inclined to believe they've been waiting for the best time to attack… that would be tomorrow at the Silver Conference," he told us in the video call.

No one said anything. I myself stayed silent, heart beating just a bit faster in my chest at the warning.

Lance went on without pause. "There is the opening ceremony followed by the usual exhibition match. This year, it's between me and Koga. If they do attack, it'll probably be then. All Kanto Leaders should be on high alert at their Gyms. All Johto Leaders, I will see you tomorrow at the stadium. Be prepared for the worst."

With that ominous warning in mind, the call ended.

I had trouble sleeping again that night.

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Less than twelve hours later, I found myself at the Silver Stadium in the town and mountain range it was named after.

The stands were packed. Despite what had happened days prior at the National Day celebrations at the Plateau, people still came in full force to watch the Conference. Hardly anybody had given up precious tickets they'd bought a month in advance.

It was one of the events of the year. Nobody was going to miss it, and it wasn't just that either.

The public wasn't afraid. There had been some articles floating around of worried citizens across the country, but the general consensus was that people had an implicit trust in the League. Lance's confident words had reassured everyone, and it helped that nothing had happened the last couple of days. Some people were even writing off the National Day incident as the action of a small-time gang trying to stir up trouble.

Of course, the League did not think that.

I was sitting in the designated stands for the Indigo Elite Four and Johto Gym Leaders. We couldn't see them, but we knew there were twice as many guards as usual. There were plain clothes League Trainers hidden in the stands and others spread out in the stadium's underground levels or around the perimeters. The skies were being monitored by near-invisible Psychic types and Flying mounts.

Once again, we had Dark types enforcing a blockade around the stadium. This time, they were being led by an Ace Trainer who had been taught by Agatha herself, Karen Kiyoshi.

I was incredibly anxious. So were the Gym Leaders sitting around me. We didn't show it on our faces so as to not worry the public, but the tension in the air was so palpable it could have been cut with a knife.

With heavy hearts, we watched the opening ceremony begin.

A torch bearer eventually came running into the stadium. Clasped securely in his hand was a torch with the Flames of Virtue. Even from a great distance, I felt my eyes being drawn to their incandescent glow. With practiced ease, the runner sprinted all the way up the cascading stairs to the top of the stadium. He slowed down as he approached a giant brazier. People leaned forward in their seats when the runner carefully held the torch out in front of him.

Almost immediately, the Flames leapt from the torch to their new resting place. They grew exponentially bigger as they rose up into the sky like outstretched wings.

People roared and cheered loudly at the glorious sight. The Fire of the competition had been lit.

The Conference was now officially underway.

Far below on a podium, President Aoma cleared his throat and addressed the eager rows of trainers standing before him. His voice boomed through the stadium from a microphone. "Competitors, please join me in reciting the Conference Oath…"

In unison, the trainers placed their hands over their hearts and followed the pledge. They swore to abide by the rules and to fight with honor in the spirit of sportsmanship. This scene would have brought up fond memories of me reciting my own Conference Oaths in other regions had I not been so preoccupied looking around the stadium for possible signs of disturbance. I was not the only one who was distracted. All other Gym Leaders were looking around with me.

Nothing.

The pledge concluded, and that's when the tension hit a new high as a commentator announced the beginning of the exhibition match. The President and trainers cleared the field.

In their places, Lance and Koga appeared on either end of the arena. Our Champion spoke discreetly into a separate comms link he was wearing, and we all heard his message through our own comms.

"Stay sharp."

Without further ado, the match began.

Out popped Lance and Koga's first contenders, a Charizard and Muk. Powerful flames began blasting through solidified walls of poison, but none of us paid much attention to the exhibition match.

Our attention was elsewhere.

This was the most likely time for an outside force to strike, when the Champion of our region was busy fighting an Elite Four member. Our hands crept closer to the Pokeballs on our belts. We waited for reports to filter in of attacks across the country or for an explosion to hit the stadium.

Minutes passed, and Lance and Koga kept swapping through Pokemon. The exhibition match ultimately ended with a 6-3 victory from Lance. None of us were surprised by that.

No, we were shocked that no attack had occurred.

From the expressions on Lance and Koga's faces when they finally rejoined us, they felt the same. Our Champion ushered everyone into a private viewing box as the group preliminaries began down on the field.

As soon as the door swung shut behind us, Lance whipped around with an incredulous expression.

"Nothing happened?" he demanded.

We all shook our heads at him. Agatha even reported that her wandering Ghosts hadn't caught anything. Lance looked like he was barely clinging to sanity as he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I thought today would be the best time…" he muttered. In a louder voice, he looked back at us with a wary expression. "Let us stay on guard. Perhaps there might be an attack later in the day when we least expect it."

There was nothing better to do, so we sat down and got comfortable in our seats. We watched on in stony silence as the Conference continued.

Hours crawled by. Before we knew it, the first day of the Conference drew to a close. Spectators filtered out of the stands and headed home or to nearby hotels for the night, but we remained in our seats long after they left.

Nothing had happened. Absolutely nothing.

Our prediction had been completely off, and now we were stuck in a heated discussion.

"What on earth is their objective?" Morty muttered.

Next to him, Falkner's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps they did not strike today on purpose to confuse or distract us. Are we sure no attacks happened elsewhere in the country?"

Koga shook his head at Falkner's inquiry. "None. No reports about any incidents whatsoever."

A loud cracking sound suddenly filled the air, and more than a few people jumped as a result. The source was none other than Agatha stabbing the ground with her cane. "They're taking the long route," she spat out in an icy tone. "They're going to let us run around like headless chickens while they hide, and when we least expect it, that is when they will choose to attack."

We were all silent as we ruminated on Agatha's words. I hated to admit it, but I believed Agatha was right. Today would have been a valuable chance for criminals to strike at the country or at us, but they hadn't. That seemed to imply they were willing to bide their time to take us off guard.

From where he sat in the center of the room, Lance gave the shortest of nods.

"…I'm afraid you may be right, Agatha," our Champion reluctantly agreed. "They're trying to lull us into a false sense of security, but we will NOT let them strike first. We must show that the League is different from a decade ago, that we have improved and are better equipped to protect the citizens."

He paused for a long moment, eyes narrowing into thin slits. "We must find these criminals first. Sitting around is not an option; instead, we need to reassure Indigo's people. We need a decisive win to show that there's truly nothing to fear. "

After telling everyone to remain on high alert, Lance dismissed us. We went back to our Gyms with conflicting emotions. We all knew we were in it for the long haul now. This was not going to be resolved in just a few days.

Yet just as we thought that…

At one in the morning, I was awoken by insistent ringing from my phone. My half-asleep Sylveon nearly sliced the phone in half with a ribbon before I snatched it away in time.

As soon as I saw the caller ID, I snapped out of my own drowsiness and accepted the call.

Lance had phoned every single Indigo Gym Leader. His familiar voice cut through the silence of the early hours.

"We've located a base."

I tensed. If I wasn't wide awake before, I was now. There was a brief pause, and then—

"It's Team Rocket."

Lance ordered everyone to come to the League HQ, but I was already moving.

I threw on clothes in record time and ran out to the backyard with Vel racing after me. The Sylveon barked loud warnings to the rest of my team that instantly woke them up. The moment I had everyone in Pokeballs except for Silque, I Teleported away.

I was the fifth Gym Leader to arrive, but that didn't mean much. Everyone was arriving within seconds of each other due to the urgency of the situation.

Nobody looked remotely tired. We all stared at Lance with full attention. Once everyone had gathered, he opened his mouth and began speaking quickly.

"Route 16. Agatha's Ghosts uncovered a camp cleverly hidden by Psychic energy there," he announced. I saw Erika's eyes widen with horror a few feet down from where I stood.

That was the route right next to Celadon City.

Lance continued on in a rush. "Estimated enemy forces: two hundred grunts all wearing Team Rocket's uniform. Expect to see a lot of Poison and Dark type Pokemon. League Trainers are already waiting nearby to move in. We leave now."

He didn't wait. Several League Kadabra came up toward us and raised their spoons, and then we were no longer in a stuffy meeting room. We found ourselves in the midst of a huge forest. There was a huge empty clearing past the treeline, and I was willing to bet this was way off-route.

We'd been Teleported right next to some League forces on standby. Sabrina raised a hand and formed a nearly invisible dome over us.

"Soundproof. Invisibility," Sabrina stated simply.

Lance immediately threw a hand forward with blazing eyes.

"League Trainers will set up a blockade with Flying, Dark, and Psychic types to prevent any forms of escape. When they do, the camp will become visible, and that's when everyone moves in," Lance said hurriedly. "Step forward right now if you have proper experience fighting in unrestricted battles."

I stepped forward as did a small number of other people like Chuck or Giovanni. It was mostly the much older Gym Leaders who were included, but there were a few like Jasmine or Morty who surprised me.

Lance barely swept his gaze over us before nodding curtly.

"Those who stepped forward will help lead the charge. Those who did not, please stay back and secure the perimeter. Don't let anyone get past," he said firmly. "Our goal is to apprehend ALL Rockets. If possible, capture them alive for interrogation later, but do not hold back and put your lives at risk."

His voice dropped to a low and cold tone.

"Lethal force is authorized."

We only had a minute to prepare ourselves. Everyone released Pokemon around them, and I rapidly did the same. I had to be mindful of how limited the clearing's space was going to be and the people I would be fighting alongside, so I carefully selected my fighters.

Yuno and Silque would stick close to me on guard duty. My fastest fliers, Zuri and Peri, would help assist us or cut off escaping Rockets from the sky. Vel, Willow, and Grima would be our attackers with my two Ghosts running interference, and my Audino would support everyone from afar.

Tense seconds ticked by as everyone waited with bated breath. The moon was bright tonight which meant nobody would have to worry about vision.

My Fairies were not smiling. Under the moon's ethereal glow, their cold expressions were so far removed from their innocent and adorable appearances that they would have scared anyone but me into silence. Their eyes glimmered with promises of unspeakable pain.

They were prepared, and so was I.

Time seemed to slow down as Lance raised a hand. We waited. Without warning, a barrier mixed with various type energies appeared around the whole clearing. The space within rippled and shifted at once. Figures with dark uniforms and tents revealed themselves. Only a few dozen people were visible, so that meant the rest were probably sleeping.

It really was Team Rocket. I had no time to dwell on this revelation, though.

Everyone sprang into action the second the camp appeared.

Lt. Surge was the fastest. A team of Electric types, everything from Pikachu to Raichu to Electrode, rose up from the ground with Magnet Rise and flew forward. They were nothing more than streaks of yellow as they crashed into the clearing and sent electricity flying everywhere. Screams rang out and then cut off abruptly as Rockets dropped one after another with spasming bodies from the Thunder Wave. Only a few Rockets managed to avoid getting hit by using Pokemon as meat shields, and one of them roared loudly.

"AMBUSH!"

League forces burst out from the forest as Rockets shot out of their tents. Some scrambled on the ground and clicked the Pokeballs of their fallen companions while others charged right at us with Pokemon of their own.

We met them head on.

A barely visible wave of pink mist spread across the whole clearing from my Pokemon. Our Misty Terrain would be a boon not just to ourselves, but to our many allies in the midst of so many Poison types.

Lance hadn't been kidding when he said there would be a lot of them. I saw practically every Poison species native to Kanto-Johto here.

Two Arbok belched out waves of poison at my team, but Willow led the charge and allowed it to wash over him harmlessly. The rest of the acid splattered onto the ground and melted holes in the earth. Willow was not harmed, but he was definitely annoyed. Together, my Mawile and Grimmsnarl imbued their voices with Dark type energy and Taunted all nearby enemy Pokemon.

Those enemies only got a moment of repose before hardened ribbons came flying at them like countless blades.

Vel burst out from behind his teammates with fangs bared. His feelers lashed out and sliced at the Pokemon around him as nothing but colorful blurs in the air. He didn't pause even when a swarm of Golbat tried spraying him with poison from behind.

It was because the acid never reached him. Next to me, Silque's eyes glowed as she grabbed the murky substance and dumped all of it on some Raticate nearby. A Marowak and Sandslash leaped at me from either side while Silque was doing so.

The Hatterene didn't even bat an eye as she swung the tentacle protruding from her hat. Darkness coiled around it and slammed into the Marowak so hard that it went spinning into several other Pokemon like toppling dominoes. On the other side, the Sandslash met a similar fate as a Hydro Pump took it out at point-blank range.

My Milotic was coiled around my body in a defensive manner. Together, he and Silque were alternating between Protects to keep me constantly shielded. More grunts and their Pokemon targeted me, but it was all for naught. There was no way they were getting past two Champion-level Pokemon, and they fell like flies one after another.

It wasn't me that my enemies should have been worried about but my Pokemon.

People so often forgot that Fairies were more than just their lovely exteriors, that they were capable of violence and reveling in it. Their kind operated on their own beliefs and rules. They could bestow kindness and favor, but that was only to the select few they loved.

To the enemies that threatened their tranquil lives, they showed no mercy.

Ekans were blasted through the air by miniature moons from Vel. Weezing were grabbed and launched into trees like speeding bullets by Grima before they could explode. Powerful jaws chomped down one after another on vulnerable flesh and elicited screams of pain. Willow merely tossed Pokemon into the air as if they were ragdolls once he was done with them.

My two Ghosts, Fia and Mem, haunted the battlefield. They slipped in and out of reality and intercepted attacks for their allies. When they weren't doing that, they materialized behind enemy lines and targeted the trainers.

Rocket grunts never even got a chance to react before they collapsed from Confuse Rays and other debilitating effects.

In the air above, my two fliers were flying loops and picking off Rockets who attempted to flee on their Pokemon. Zuri only had to swat with a single hand for a group of Fearow and their riders to come tumbling down. Nearby, Peri slammed into Pokemon one after another with Extreme Speed.

Even as more screams and howls rang out around me, I walked forward and started picking up the Pokeballs of fallen Rockets to recall their Pokemon with. Less for everyone to deal with if we trapped them in their capsules.

The air in my vicinity gradually became polluted by pink dust from Fairy type energy. I looked at the cruel expressions of my Pokemon as they covered for each other and removed every enemy in sight, and I felt nothing but calm.

The operation ended not even five minutes later. In a way, it was anticlimactic.

All Rockets had been easily taken down, and those that survived were immediately tied up. League Trainers went around recalling the Pokemon of the Rockets to contain them. The clearing we had all fought in reflected nothing but a scene of wanton destruction. There were craters in the land from attacks, overturned earth, uprooted trees… Not a single part of it had been left untouched.

Our Pokemon were still out as Lance faced us. He was not smiling, but he did seem noticeably less stressed than earlier.

"A few League Trainers got minor injuries, but we had no deaths," Lance announced loudly. Everyone sagged with relief. "This was almost a perfect operation."

He did not comment on the casualties on Team Rocket's side, and no one asked.

Lance went on in a clear voice. "Sabrina and a League Alakazam interrogated some grunts already. Through the statements and memories we rooted through, we have discovered that…"

He paused to exhale deeply.

"That they are indeed formed from the remnants of Team Rocket," he finished with a tired expression.

I clenched a fist at my side.

They had truly returned. This was not a new entity we were facing, but an old foe who had come back to torment Indigo once again.

Lance gave us all some time for his words to sink in, and then he raised a hand. "We didn't get any information about what happened on National Day, but we did find out that there are two dozen other bases hidden throughout Kanto and Johto. The grunts said there are about five thousand members in total. No executives and only one leader whose identity the grunts here aren't privy to. Much, much lower numbers than we were expecting, which is good news. Finding the bases will take time, but at least we know what we're dealing with here."

That truly was good news. Team Rocket in its prime had had hundreds of thousands of members, and we'd been expecting similar numbers for an organization that had dared to reveal such a ludicrous message on National Day.

But… this was also…

"Are we sure that's right?" Brock's brows furrowed. "I find it hard to believe that they announced their comeback with so few forces."

"Y-Yes. There's also the matter of how today's operation went," Bugsy spoke up. He wilted under the gazes that suddenly fell on him, but he kept his head up. "Because… excuse me for saying this, it felt like us Gym Leaders didn't even need to be here. They were so weak the League Trainers could have handled them on their own."

He hesitated before continuing. "It's… suspicious."

I couldn't have said it better. Both Brock and Bugsy had brought up the exact points I'd been thinking about in my head. Today's operation had been completed with incredible ease. Even if today's foes had been mere grunts, it was still odd how they didn't possess any particularly powerful Pokemon or commanding officers to lead them.

Was this really all they had to go up against the League?

I only grew more uncomfortable when Lance did not respond for several seconds.

"The Elite Four and I have already agreed that it's suspicious," Lance finally admitted. He spoke every word slowly. "But we checked to see if the grunts were lying or not, and they weren't. No signs of memory tampering either."

That should have reassured me, but I only felt unsatisfied instead. Lance seemed to sense the discontent radiating from me and the other Gym Leaders because he swept a hand forward.

"We will look further into it and interrogate the rest of the forces we captured today. It is… not ideal that Team Rocket has returned, but we at least managed to make the first move on them this time and get rid of one base. We also know the identity of the organization we're up against now. These are all positives," Lance stated in a powerful voice. "I thank everyone for showing up here today in a show of united force. Even if it was not necessary in the end for so many Elites to gather, it helped reaffirm that Indigo is strong when we work together."

Our Champion's lips actually curled upwards in the briefest of smiles. "Please, take pride in what we have accomplished today. There is still work to be done, but we have proven that Team Rocket is weaker than the League. What we did today will greatly reassure our citizens."

He was obviously trying to raise our spirits, and he did. The Gym Leaders around me looked to be in visibly better moods. I still felt a bit skeptical, but Lance said the League would look into it. I would have to trust the experts to do their jobs.

And Lance was right. We had done something good today.

There were still Team Rocket bases to find, but we'd taken the first step towards eliminating their organization. This would go a long way towards reassuring the people now that we had solid actions to back up our confident words. The force of all of Indigo's Elites was nothing to scoff at.

Lance said he'd be broadcasting a statement tomorrow morning, and that was our cue to head back home and sleep. Tomorrow, Indigo's people would learn of Team Rocket's return, but they'd also be handed good news.

I finally got some decent sleep after the last few stressful days.