Chapter Four
Cynthia was quick and efficient. In the morning, she presented him a list of all the participants in the "Vestige League World Championship." Being Cynthia, she waited until everyone had sat down to breakfast to show him, so that he had to pass the list around. He listened with fascination and impatience as his peers made remarks and exclamations about the names. What he gathered was that none of the finalists were unworthy of the title "Champion."
"It's like a who's who of tough trainers," Iris said. "Lots of them are names from Unova, and they all fought Alder!"
"Very few Hoennians," Wallace said regretfully. "So few of us wish to leave the beauty of our home shores."
"I've battled several of them myself," Cynthia admitted. "However, only these four finished. The identity of the Champion remains unknown."
"That's silly," Iris said. "You can't have an Elite Four without a Champion."
"Could Blue be his own Champion?" Lance asked.
"Oh, he could try," Wallace said. "But I doubt it. He's busy enough running this little city. When would he have time to play Champion?"
"I agree with Wallace," Cynthia said. "Blue is rumored to be strong, but the finishers on this list are very strong, stronger than Blue I'm sure. Anyone who could beat all of them would be formidable, and surely someone that has taken a League Challenge."
"It could be a Kalosian. Without Dianthia around, I can't say for sure about a few of these names," Lance admitted. He didn't like this. Blue was hiding his Champion from them. He was certain of his team and he knew his strengths, but those four names were no pushovers. Three of them were League Champions, and the other had run close. Anyone who could beat them had to be scary strong. The thought set his blood thrumming. The challenge of dominating these trainers excited him and he could feel his dark mood scatter like zubat before the sunrise.
"I recognize a few, mostly titled nobility from the Battle Mansion; however, that one is completely unfamiliar..." Wallace was talking, but Lance was no longer listening.
He rose from his chair in a motion practiced so many times that it was majestic without conscious thought.
"It fits," he said. The others looked at him blankly, except Cynthia. She looked disapproving.
"Lance," she started.
"Four of them, four of us,"Lance said. "We hit them all today, at the same time, and we crush them."
"That would not further our show of solidarity," Cynthia said immediately. "And it's risky. If one of us loses, it's a win for Blue, even if we beat the other three."
"Don't you think we can take them?" Lance sneered. "Tough or not, they lack our experience."
"We do hold the superior position," Wallace said thoughtfully. "True trainers respect the authority of the Pokémon League. If we make our position clear, they may retire quietly."
Lance was surprised to find an ally in Hoenn's Champion, but he would take it.
"You can't just dive into this Lance," Cynthia said gently. "These are troubled waters you're treading. You have to think this through."
"If you don't have a better plan," Lance said testily, "then you should not contest mine. Moving together at the same time with the same goal, and destroying them before they know what's happening, that's working together, that's showing our strength. That's smashing these "Elite" and proving them unworthy!"
Cynthia looked ready to protest, but Iris interrupted.
"How did you guys pick me, anyway?" she asked.
Lance sighed. Eight years old or not, if she couldn't stick with the subject she should be sent off to play. He opened his mouth to tell her that, but instead Wallace answered the child's question.
"We made a list, actually. Your appointment came out of a turbulent time in Unova. Alder resigned, the Trio resigned, Team Plasma awakened legendary pokémon, Charon was appointed, and Brycn also resigned. For a while it looked like Draydon was also going to step down. With so many gym leaders leaving so suddenly, there was no one of any experience on the League list."
"Normally, Draydon or Brycn would have stepped in to Alders vacant position, but that was impossible. Draydon recommended you. It was known to us that you covered for him at his gym on occasion, and the battle videos he sent of you were impressive, even in your defeats," Cynthia said. She seemed perfectly content to answer this silly question. Lance itched to pick the puff princess up and set her down outside the door.
"Our only real objection was the unbalanced number of Dragon Tamer Champions," Wallace sniffed. "It was a weak argument and quickly overruled. We Champions voted and unanimously instated you. It has to be unanimous, you know. We were tied up for days electing Cynthia..."
"Enough of this," Lance snapped. "This has nothing to do with Blue's Faux Four."
"Yes it does, Mister Lance," Iris said with a pout. "How do you pick Elite Four?"
"We don't," Lance said shortly. "Elite Four are regional business, left to the Champion and his Four. We decide who's worthy to join our ranks and we admit them when it becomes necessary. That's all."
"Well, it seems to me that we have no right to interfere with Blue's Elite, then," Iris said.
Lance just stared.
"Explain yourself, Iris," Wallace said, but as a question! An honest question to a statement needed quashed instead of encouraged!
"If what you said is true, then Champions only pick other Champions. Champions have no say in other Champion's Elite Four. That means that we can't pick fights with Blue about Elite Four. It would be like me telling Wallace he can't have Sidney in his Elite Four because I don't like him and he doesn't wear socks."
No one smiled.
"Vestige has no Champion. Vestige has no Sanctioned Elite Four. If you have to feel involved, then pay attention," Lance said.
"Lance!" Cynthia interjected. "That was uncalled for!"
Iris got to her feet.
"You know, Mister Lance? I don't think you and me's ever had an official match," she said. She looked up at him, full of defiance. "I think it's time we fixed that."
Lance leaned toward her over the table, every movement full of menace.
"I think it's time I put you over my knee," he said softly.
"Dragon Tamers. Everything's all about, 'Mine's scarier than yours.' Can we focus please?" Wallace interrupted. "Although you are both trainers, with dragons to be feared I'm sure," he added flippantly, "I believe our watchword is 'solidarity.' Am I right?"
Lance's "Stay out of it," and Iris' "Shut up," were instantaneous. Lance turned and glared at the girl, only to find her glaring back. Dragon Gods of Time and Space! He would teach this child authority!
"Both of you need to sit down and, Lance, you need to apologize," Cynthia said. "If you two savage each other now, we gain nothing."
Neither he nor Iris moved.
"Are you suggesting I back down from a challenge?" Lance asked dangerously. He shifted his gaze slowly to Cynthia.
She did not glare. She was stern.
"Yes, and I demand that you apologize to Iris. Your anger and humiliation may be what is driving you, but this is a routine manner and should be handled with cool heads," she said.
"There is nothing routine about this!" Lance shouted. "John Blue is usurping our authority! He is taking our power and using it to bully every person on this continent! In our name, Cynthia! He's doing it in my name!"
Everyone stared at him. Wallace with censure, as if he thought Lance was being too dramatic. Iris looked on with hostile puzzlement, as if she wasn't sure if this meant the fight was off or not. Worse of all, Lance saw Cynthia's brows draw together and she pursed her lips. She looked hard at him, and Lance felt afraid suddenly. It was if she could see right through him and he didn't want that. He didn't want to know what she saw, and he didn't want anyone to know why this was so important to him. He just wanted them to believe it, by Ho-Oh!
"Why is this a debate?" Lance asked softly. "Can we not all agree that what John Blue has done is wrong?"
"John Blue has the right to pick Elite," Iris said. "You all said it's a regional matter!"
"You're never had to pick Elite, so it's natural that you don't understand," Wallace said.
Iris turned her glare on him, but Wallace spoke mildly and there wasn't even a hint of reproach in his arrogant features.
"The regions do choose their own Elite, independent of the other regions; however, we are all only familiar with pre-existing Leagues. A League hasn't been set up in years. The other regions get a say in that. We are international. We are the heads, really, of our respective regions. It is our duty to see that standards are upheld across the board. Despite differences of culture, people and pokémon deserve a League Challenge of the same quality on every continent. That is our duty," Wallace said.
"That is why we cannot allow Blue to have his way," Cynthia said. "Vestige is a region, but it is at war. Factions compete for land and resources. People and pokémon are involved in regular acts of violence. Until they can unite, until there is law and order, the standards demanded by a League cannot be met."
"A League without our sanction is outside our control. They will not respect us, thus we will not respect them. The Indigo League refuses to accept any badge or honor awarded by any League formed without the permission of the Pokémon League. My ruling stands. Wallace, Cynthia? How do you stand?" Lance demanded.
"Hoenn League abides by the International Rules, of course," Wallace said patiently.
"As does Sinnoh," Cynthia said.
Lance forced himself not to think about what Cynthia was seeing with that piercing gaze. He turned his attention to Iris. She was still glaring at him
"What about you? Would you accept John Blue's Elite if they came to you?" he asked.
"And what if I did?" Iris snapped. "Leagues formed before we did!"
"Then the Indigo League refuses to recognize the Unova League," Lance said.
"That's bullying! We are the League, we don't do that!" Iris said angrily.
"You forfeited your position in the Pokémon League by breaking our rules. My Elite will not honor a rogue League."
"That's fine! Who needs you? Dianthia wouldn't do that, Cynthia wouldn't either. Like that, there's more of us than you, so you'll be on your..." Iris trailed off.
All the other champions were watching her sternly.
"Oh," she said. She sat down.
"Understand, we would love to see Vestige create a League; however, it is important that it is done properly," Wallace chided.
"Dissension and discrimination will occur if Mayor Blue attempts to force this League through like this. The Leagues will fight among themselves, or align against Vestige. Besides the hostility between continents, trainers will be caught in the crossfire. If the Leagues fight, the casualties will be children and pokémon," Cynthia explained.
"I understand," Iris said in a small voice. "I'm sorry."
"We are Champions. We stand above other trainers and serve as inspiration. We are the standard of success, and this is a privilege. Privilege has its price. It is our duty to protect our status and our Leagues from the taint of upstarts and fools. In doing this, we protect those whom we rule and insure that future generations have our Challenge and even world peace," Lance said.
Iris drooped even more.
Lance held up Cynthia's list.
"Everyone choose your opponent. I want to move as fast as possible so Blue has no time to react. I want to emphasize that these battles are trainers against Champions. These people, even if they have beaten some of us, are in no way Elite Four. They will not be accorded that respect and that is to be made perfectly clear to them. Is this understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good. I want this one," Lance said.