Welcome to this story. This first chapter is a little different to what the rest of them will be, as it is split into several subsections about the events leading up to the summit from different perspectives all over Sinnoh. From the second chapter onwards, this will change and we'll have chapters revolving around one group of people at a time, I think. Well, without further ado, let's get started.

Crasher Wake

It wasn't exactly what one would call a beautiful day, but then again, it usually wasn't in Pastoria City. That didn't bother Crasher Wake as he stepped out of his Gym. He was used to the cloudy weather. It was nothing compared to the constant thick fog that lay over the city when he had moved here to become the Gym leader. He frequently had his Pokémon use the signature move of the Fen Badge, Defog, to keep the fog at bay ever since.

He was headed to Hearthome City, where the annual National League Summit would be held. Every year, members of the Leagues of all regions would meet up to discuss recent developments, and that, of course, included Gym leaders as well. Wake carefully locked the door and put up a note to alert any challenger that might come up of his absence, though he knew it wasn't exactly a clandestine meeting. Most trainers would probably be aware that no challenges would be held over the next week, anywhere.

Whistling his own theme song, which he got due to his part-time job as a professional wrestler, he set out to reach his destination. It wouldn't be a long walk, Route 212 offered a direct connection between the two cities. He expected rain, but specializing in water-type Pokémon, he didn't mind getting a little wet.

Fantina

Fantina couldn't quite deny it: She was a little excited. It wasn't her first National League Summit, but it was the first she had the honour to host. The flamboyant lady, dressed in all purple as usual, had decided to shut down not only her Gym, but the Contest Hall as well – it had been temporarily repurposed to serve as a conference hall, as it was Hearthome City's only building large enough to offer enough space for such an event. Not all people in town were happy about that, after all, it was a very fashionable city, and everyone enjoyed the fancy contests. "Whatever", she sighed as she left her Gym and walked over to the great hall to make sure the final preparations were all done, "it's only for a week, non?"

Looking up at the sky, she noticed the dark clouds. They were unusual, cloudy weather was more common further South, but the weather forecast had been clear: Rain was to be expected all over Sinnoh that day. It wouldn't make it more pleasant for her guests to arrive at the summit, but there was nothing she could do about it, and Fantina was confident in everyone's ability to use an umbrella. Well, everyone but Wake, who probably enjoyed the rain. She chuckled at the thought. She herself didn't mind a chance to show off one of her extra fancy umbrellas either.

It took only a few steps for her to arrive at the Contest Hall. The guard at the entrance immediately noticed her.

"Madame!", he immediately saluted, letting her pass. She gave him a warm nod as she passed him, stepping into the entrance hall. She was indeed pleased at the first impression. Everything was set up, and the hall was decorated in an elegant, but not over-the-top kind of way. Just as she had requested. She wanted to show off the city's extravagance but provide a professional atmosphere as well. After all, important work had to be done here.

She noticed a few technicians busy with last-minute improvements as she wandered through the different rooms. Each had been decorated in a different colour, designed to match the different groups of people meeting there. The carpets, curtains, flowers, they all complimented each other nicely. Still, she felt a little anxious. Despite knowing all, or at least most of the people who were about to convene here, she was a little nervous about how they felt about her masterpiece.

Byron and Roark

Byron most certainly wasn't a posh man. In fact, he was hands-on and most certainly not a stranger to intense manual labour. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't value good manners. He knew etiquette demanded he'd accompany the League members from other regions that would arrive in Canalave City, where his own Gym and one of the two major ports of the region was located, to the summit. That is why he was quite displeased with himself for not being able to do so.

Instead, he was in Oreburgh City. His son Roark (or "The Rock", as he liked to call himself, much to his father's amusement), the city's Gym leader, had called him for help the day before. Oreburgh City depended heavily on the local coal mine, and for some reason, it had been overrun by Zubat. They hadn't been able to figure out the reason for the sudden infestation, and it would definitely be an issue Roark would bring up during the summit, but after several hours of battling, they had finally been able to contain it. With the operability of the mine ensured, Byron realized there was no way he would make it back to Canalave City in time to welcome the visitors from abroad.

"We'll have to hurry if we don't want to be late to Hearthome", he reminded his son, "you don't have any flying-type Pokémon, and I left my Skarmory in Canalave City." Byron could've punched himself for not taking Skarmory along, it could've easily brought both of them to the port in no time.

"Yeah", Roark replied, "especially since I've agreed to meet our Sinnohan friends a little earlier. Now that you can't escort our visitors, that probably applies to you too… By the way, you should see to it that someone welcomes them. And explains the situation. And lock your Gym. You know, all those things you should've done yourself, dad…"

Byron sighed and nodded quietly. He was used to the constant teasing of his son who was hellbent on becoming a more powerful trainer than himself. Roark would constantly crack down at the slightest mistake his father would make. Of course, he had thought about mentioning that all the administrative troubles arose due to Roark not being able to handle a Zubat invasion on his own, but he chose to let his son enjoy his moment of triumph.

As Roark locked the Oreburgh Gym, Byron called his friend Riley, who immediately picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"This is Byron. Do you never actually look at your phone before you pick it up?"

"Rarely. Can I help you, old friend?"

"I'm not that old. Listen, you don't happen to be in Canalave City, do you? I need to call in a few favours."

"Certainly older than I am. You're lucky, old man, I was just about to enter Iron Island. Reception is not great down there, so you called just in time. I can be in the city in a few minutes."

"Listen, I don't have time to explain this in detail. You know how the League Summit is set to start tomorrow, yeah? Our visitors from Hoenn, Johto and Kanto are due to arrive in about an hour. I won't be able to make it, please tell them I'm terribly sorry. Fantina promised to arrange for further transportation, so you should find…"

"I thought you don't have time for a long speech? Look, I got it. Greet visitors. Find vehicle. Put visitors on vehicle."

"…thanks. And please, lock the Gym. You still have that spare key, right?"

"Sure do. Thank me later!" *click*

Byron sighed again. He was certainly impressed by the younger generation of trainers, but they were always in a hurry, it seemed. Was he becoming too slow for this world?

"Come on, dad! We don't have all day!", Roark reminded him impatiently, as if to confirm his thoughts.

"Sure, son. Let's get going…"

And so, father and son set out for Hearthome City. It wasn't that much of a journey, but they had to cross through Mt. Coronet, and the rocky nature of those caves would slow down even this pair of experienced digging enthusiasts.

Gardenia and Maylene

The dust settled in the middle of Solaceon Town to reveal the outcome of an intense battle between the Gym leaders of Veilstone and Eterna City. It became clear the Maylene's Lucario had beaten Gardenia's Roserade using Close Combat – in a final display of strength, it had lowered its defences on its Trainer's command for a reckless all-out assault. A winning strategy, at least this time.

Gardenia gave a silvery laugh as she complimented her Pokémon for its efforts. "One day, I'll beat you, Maylene, I swear!" The other girl recalled her Lucario with a proud, almost smug smile on her lips. "Yeah right… we'll se about that. You clearly lack the discipline!", she teased. "Didn't even come here by foot."

The grass-type Gym leader blushed and glanced over to her Tropius, which she'd used to fly to their rendezvous point. They had agreed to meet up in Solaceon Town, which was only a heartbeat away from Hearthome City, to indulge in a battle before making their way to the Contest Hall together. As much as she liked the pink haired girl, Maylene, as a friend – Gardenia was more annoyed by the fact that she never seemed to be able to beat her than she would admit.

Maylene interrupted her thoughts. "You know, there's nothing like a tough walk to train your own discipline. I mean, Fly is basically my own signature HM, but I don really use it. It makes you weak."

"Enough already, you've made your point!", Gardenia exclaimed, slightly disgruntled with the taunting. "Just wait until next time. I'll beat the hell out of you, mark my words. Now, let's get on with it, we don't want to keep anyone waiting!"

Maylene didn't object, and they walked down route 209 with all its pits and bridges, mostly in silence. Along the way, they turned down a jogger's request for a battle – they were already late, and the matchup hardly seemed fair. The other trainer didn't seem like he'd have a chance against either one of the Gym leaders, let alone both, but he had confidence. They had to give him that.

Gardenia still seemed to sulk over her defeat, although she obviously tried not to let it show too much. Her friend still picked up on it.

"You know, all teasing aside, you did get a lot better since the last time we battled. In all seriousness, I don't doubt you'll beat me some day if you keep growing stronger like this… you and your partners, of course." It was an obvious attempt to cheer up Gardenia, but it was true nonetheless.

"Thanks…", the girl replied, not sure how to handle the sudden compliment. "I'm really glad to know you. Training with you is always thrilling, and besides – you know I don't like those super fancy League Summits. It'd be horrible to go without you."

Maylene couldn't help but laugh at that remark. "Yeah, I agree. It's certainly much more fun with you. Look, I see the city gates!"

Volkner

It was early in the morning when Volkner, Sunyshore City's energetic Gym leader, stepped out into the sun. Early sunrises were something the city was known for, and it was certainly a major factor that contributed to the creation of its signature solar walkway. Volkner had designed it himself, a simple but brilliant idea: by creating a walkway made entirely from solar panels, he had single-handedly solved the city's power problem. He was gifted when it came to tinkering at least as much as he was gifted when it came to battling, a fact he wasn't exactly known to be humble about.

It would be a while until he'd welcome his guests. Sunyshore was home to the region's largest port. The League had been informed that delegations from Kalos and Alola would arrive there, and Volkner had been tasked with accompanying them to Hearthome City where the summit would be held. Personally, he would have preferred the Johto delegation – it was an open secret he had taken a liking to a Gym leader over there. They had tried to keep their meetings more private, but it seemed that a private life wasn't something a Gym leader could have anymore. In fact, one of the few things that stopped him from challenging the Elite Four to overcome his boredom was his fear of becoming an even bigger target for various news outlets throughout Sinnoh and even other regions.

Volkner yawned and flung one of his Pokéballs to release his Luxray. It emerged with a bloodcurling battlecry, only to realize there was no opponent. It exchanged looks with its trainer.

"Just a walk, buddy", Volkner explained. They spent their morning making sure the lighthouse was up and running – of course it was – and a casual walk on the beach until it was finally time to stroll down to the port. "Spot-on!", Volkner chuckled as he saw a majestic cruiser berth right as the couple, Pokémon and trainer, casually made their way down the dock.

They really did not have a hard time finding their guests among the crowd of tourists that got off the boat, since they were surrounded by a bulk of flashing cameras and excited journalists, which made Volkner groan. There was no doubt in his mind that the vast majority, if not all of them, were there for a single person: The Kalos Champion, Diantha. The public rarely got excited over politics that much, and only a select few seemed to be interested in League matters. Most people preferred to obsess over battling, gossip and, in this case, word famous movie stars. Volkner recently voiced concerns over this, despite being secretly glad he wasn't besieged by flashing cameras all the time.

Observing the crowd from some distance, he commanded his Luxray to use Roar. That strategy rarely failed to enforce his authority as the local Gym leader. Everyone turned to face them as the Pokémon made its presence known with a majestic cry and a crackle of electricity for show. It did love to be dramatic.

"Alright, listen up, everyone. My name is Volkner, and I happened to be in charge of our beautiful city's Gym. Welcome to Sinnoh. I hope you all have a fantastic time here. Some of you may have noticed the right honourable Ladies and Gentlemen of the Kalos and Alola Leagues on board. It is my duty and honour to escort them to the summit. We're on a bit of a tight schedule, so I must ask the rest of you to be on your way and allow our guests to join me at the lighthouse, where I'll be waiting for them. This especially applied to members of the media. Please contact the summit PR-team for further information."

Unnerved, he turned around and walked off, making his way to Vista Lighthouse. About 10 minutes later, a colourful bunch joined him, seemingly led by the woman in the white dress, Diantha. He spotted Clemont, Kalos' own electric-type Gym leader from Lumiose City, trailing behind and marvelling the solar walkway. Volkner considered Clemont a friend, as they had spent quite some bonding time over their preferred type and they fondness for innovation and tinkering. Clemont was joined by a younger boy. Volkner deduced he was a member of the Alolan League – it had been founded just a few months ago and this was their first summit.

Volkner curiously examined the chattering people approaching him. He knew a lot of them, of course, his colleagues from Kalos – Viola, eagerly taking pictures of everything she could find, Grant struggling to keep up with Korinna on her roller skates to keep their conversation going, Valerie, Olympia and Wulfric silently walking next to each other while admiring the view and Ramos, who had joined Diantha at the front. And of course, there was Professor Sycamore, easily the most charismatic man he knew. He seemed to be torn between a conversation with what must've been his colleague from Alola – Volkner made a silent note to himself that this man's aura perhaps rivalled Sycamore's own – and trying to hit on a green-haired girl, without doubt from the Alolan islands.

The other Alolans seemed interesting, too. He was looking forward to meeting all of them. Apart from the boy and Sycamore's newest target (Volkner made another note to himself to warn her about what must've been at least fifty others), he spotted a girl with blue hair chatting with a young fellow with particularly dark skin and black and red hair and a girl with ragged clothes and purple hair silently musing over Arceus knew what. Was this how Fantina looked when she was younger? Volkner chuckled as he could barely imagine his colleague wearing anything but the fanciest dress she could find, dismissing the thought. He noticed a boy with pink hair, very intent on getting the ragged girl's attention, but seemingly to no avail. Poor boy.

That wasn't everyone, though, as he spotted a group of four people in the back. There was a big man with grey hair, heartily laughing about what the woman in the pink dress next to him must've just said. The man walking beside them wore a uniform and a facial expression that showed a lack of interest shocking to even Volkner, who had considered himself a master of unimpressedness up to this point. That didn't seem to stop the fourth person of their subgroup, a girl dressed entirely in khaki and purple, to attempt casual conversation with him. Needless to say, she wasn't very successful, but that didn't seem to bother her too much.

"Ah, forgive me for my speech down at the docks, my friends", Volkner said when the group had finally assembled. "I didn't mean to come off rude, but…"

"Ahhh, it's fine, Volkner, mon ami. We certainly understand, do not sweat it! A fanastic lighthouse you have there!"

Irritated by the rude interruption at first, Volkner relaxed as he recognized the familiar accent of Professor Augustine Sycamore. He knew the man just couldn't help himself, he HAD to voice his opinions on absolutely everything.

"…thank you, Professor. Well as a matter of fact, I wanted to invite you upstairs. There's a view I hope you'll find rather rewarding. Oh, and I mustn't forget – my new colleagues from Alola! I suppose we'll be properly introduced at the summit, but a first impression is never a bad thing. I suggest we all have a little chat upstairs, away from public eyes…" he sighed. "I'm rambling, am I not? Let's just… yeah, let's just go."

Everyone gave a polite smile, well except for the uniformed man from Alola, and they made their way to the top of the Vista Lighthouse. Once they got up there, they proceeded to take turns glancing through the binoculars to take a look at the spectacular castle that was the Sinnoh League while everyone else enjoyed a casual chat. Naturally, after sharing a boat to Sinnoh, the Kalos and Alola League members were already acquainted with each other, but Volkner had some catching up to do. He particularly enjoyed getting to know the young boy he noticed at Clemont's side earlier. Turns out his name was Sophocles, although he immediately insisted Volkner call him Soffy, as apparently all his friends did. He too seemed to be rather passionate about all sorts of new inventions.

"What's this?!", Viola, the bug-type Gym leader from Kalos, suddenly exclaimed. Everyone turned around, most of them highly amused seeing her trying to take a photograph through the binocular. She seemed startled by the sudden silence, obviously not having expected anyone to pay attention to her. "I… I think I just saw someone leaving the castle on a flying Pokémon…", she tried to explain while quickly taking her camera away from the binoculars, trying to act normal.

"Oh godda… goshdarn it!", Volkner cursed, only correcting himself after seeing Diantha shooting him a disapproving glance. "That must've been the bosses. I'm sorry, I lost track of time. Let's go, let's go!"

They all shuffled downstairs in a hurry. Luckily, the vehicles Fantina sent for them were already waiting for them, although they were certainly not what Volkner or, in fact, anyone had expected.

The Sinnoh League

Lucian and Bertha were seated in the League's library, both focussed on their books. It was a soothing sight: the tall man in an elegant maroon suit, reading one of his favourite classics, a murder mystery novel about a private detective and his companion, a medical doctor. Opposed to him, the dignified elderly woman, immersed in a very different murder mystery set in a medieval monastery while sipping on a large cup of tea.

Lucian secretly disapproved of his colleague's habit of bringing tea to the library. He dreaded the day a cup would be knocked over, spilling its content on one of his precious books. Of course, he would never mention it to anyone, let alone Bertha herself. First of all, he was too polite, and of course, like everyone else, he was slightly intimidated by the woman, despite the fact that they had grown close friends.

When the library's door was knocked wide open, both shot up from their books, greeting the invaders with exasperated looks.

"Aaron. Flint. Has anyone ever told you libraries are supposed to be quiet?", Lucian asked, while Bertha simply stared disapprovingly.

The green colour of Aaron's eyes matched that of his hair, but it certainly didn't go well with the red colour his face assumed after being called out like that, muttering incomprehensible excuses. Within seconds, he was interrupted by his companion, who remained seemingly unfazed by his colleague's rebuke. Flint casually wandered over to the table in the centre of the library where Bertha and Lucian were sitting and grabbed a free chair. Aaron followed a few seconds later.

"What are you reading there? Ah, who cares. Put those books away, amigos, it's time for us to leave. Is that tea, Bertha? You're not supposed to bring drinks to a library, you know?", Flint started to lecture his colleague, who merely sighed in response.

"Very… kind of you to alert us of our responsibilities, Flint", Lucian said diplomatically. He considered adding a sharp remark about how Bertha and himself were perfectly capable of managing their own schedule, but he noticed Bertha's gaze that seemed to implore him to deescalate the situation.

"No problem at all, mate!" Flint seemed to be entirely oblivious to the implied reproach once again. Judging by the colour of Aaron's face, he wasn't. After a short stare off between Lucian and Flint, the former simply sighed and shut his book. "Very well, then. Has anyone seen the Champion? Seeing as this is her first ever League summit, she could probably do with a briefing."

"I'll get her!", Aaron volunteered all too quickly, very obviously relieved to get out of the awkward situation, and eagerly shuffled out of the room.

The Champion's room was the closest one to the library, one of the many privileges that came with the job to compensate for all the responsibilities. Therefore, it didn't take Aaron more than a few seconds to find Cynthia who opened the door with a warm smile when he knocked.

"Aaron! It's not time to leave yet, is it?"

The boy couldn't help but admire the young woman. She wasn't much older than him, but in every single one of their frequent training sessions, she proved her remarkable bond with her team. She never let that get to her head though and remained down-to-earth and modest, a fact that impressed Aaron even more. He couldn't help but feel a little starstruck every time he saw the tall, elegant woman with her long, platinum blonde hair, but not like… I mean, he didn't like, LIKE Cynthia. Not in that way. More like an older sister, he felt.

"Aaron? Is everything alright?", Cynthia inquired, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, sure, sorry!", Aaron blushed again, hoping it wouldn't show. "Lucian thought we could talk you through the procedures before heading off, we're all in the library. Don't be surprised if there's a bit of tension in the air, Flint…" The boy didn't finish the sentence, neither did he have to.

Cynthia laughed softly, she'd experience lots of situations where Flint behaved in way that didn't sit well with his colleagues, not even noticing their disapproval. It was kind of awkward at first, but by after a few weeks at the League, she came to understand that despite their quarrels, the Elite Four truly cared for each other, with all their flaws and quirks. Soon, she had become part of this small community.

"Well, well, I suppose we should go and sort things out then. Can't risk a heated battle in the library, can we? Poor books…"

When they arrived at the library, however, things seemed to have sorted out themselves. Flint, Bertha and Lucian sat around the table, waiting – the books had disappeared, so had the cup of tea and the tension between the three.

"Cynthia, dear, good to see you. Let's just quickly give you a heads-up on what's expecting you… us… during the next week, and then we're good to go.", Lucian welcomed. It didn't take long, he was good at short and concise briefings, and half an hour later, they were off to Hearthome City on their fastest Pokémon.

Professor Rowan

Rowan sighed deeply. It was that time of the year again, and the annual League Summit would interrupt his research plans. Of course, he had to go, all the Professors were invited as special guests. While they weren't actual members of the League – only Gym leaders, Champions and members of the Elite Four were – but since they were able to provide valuable input from a scientific point of view, the League asked them to come every year.

It was a nuisance to him, but he understood the necessity and he didn't mind meeting his colleagues either. He put on his heavy brown coat and set out on the journey, leaving everyday business like giving out starters to his assistants, who he was sure would do a fine job like always.

"Perhaps it won't be so bad, after all…", he mused while mounting Staraptor. It would be a lot less straining as the years before. He used to attend the summit as both the region's Professor and its Champion, until young Cynthia beat him a few months ago. He was rather eager to meet her again, too. A very interesting woman, he thought.

Not being Champion anymore would take a lot of weight off his shoulders during the summit, and he certainly didn't mind that. On top of that, he was sure Fantina had gone out of her way to provide everyone with as much comfort and excellent food as humanly possible, and he had to admit that he was very much looking forward to the sweet, sweet desserts. Rowan pulled a candy bar out of his pocket, put it in his mouth and commanded his Staraptor to take him to Hearthome City.

Author's note: You've made it this far? Impressive. I'm uploading this first chapter right before boarding a plane. I'm looking forward to continuing this when I come back, though. If one of you happens to drop a comment about how to improve things, I'll certainly take it into consideration. Thanks for reading!