Steven Stone stepped into the largest of the League's private meeting rooms at their Hoenn headquarters located on the northern side of Ever Grande City.
It wasn't the first time he'd been in the room that week, and it surely wouldn't be the last. Despite having not held any official role with the League for many years, he always made a point to offer his assistance wherever he could, especially in matters of utmost importance such as this.
Not to mention, he and his company were directly tied to the heart of the matter. But even if that hadn't been the case, he would be there regardless. Hoenn was in crisis, and Steven had always done his utmost to hold the region's best interests above his own.
Unsurprisingly, it was immediately obvious that this meeting was going to be different from most. It was the first since the arduously planned regional lockdown had been officially implemented only a few short hours ago, and people were in an uproar.
Not just Hoenn's citizens either. As Steven entered the room that currently contained roughly thirty of the region's most influential people, at least as far as League-affiliated and high-ranking Hoenn government officials went, it was obvious that this meeting was going to be anything but standard. Even setting aside the fact that it was normally as impossible as it was impractical to attempt to corral so many notable figureheads, there was typically a level of decorum upheld that seemed to have been thrown right out the window.
Normally, etiquette dictated that attendees arrive in a timely manner, be seated at the conference table before the start of the meeting, and hold off on any chatter until after the meeting's purpose was fulfilled and everyone was dismissed. Sure, you could have a hushed, light conversation with somebody a seat or two away from you to exchange pleasantries if the meeting wasn't yet underway, but anything beyond that was to be saved until after the meeting had concluded.
Especially any discussions pertaining to the purpose of the meeting.
That wasn't the case here. Very few were sitting, and there were no pleasantries being exchanged. Tensions were high, people were fidgeting and pacing anxiously, and there were multiple heated conversations going on as people waited for the meeting to officially kick off.
Which, by the way, should have happened six minutes ago.
Steven himself would normally have been embarrassed at being late, as he tended to pride himself on his punctuality and reliability, but as they say – family comes first. He'd needed to ensure that his wife and daughter were safely at home before attending to his duties, and Samantha hadn't exactly made it easy on him. Then again, considering the fact that everyone in the room surely had plenty on their plate and this meeting hadn't even been announced until shortly after the lockdown finally went into effect, it was a minor miracle that so many people had managed to make it on short notice at all, especially with the League's Teleport services being completely inundated. Steven was far from the only one to show up late as well – even as he made his way to his usual seat and took in the disorderly scene, people were still trickling in.
The fact that Steven had even been able to take his seat unnoticed and unbothered was a testament to just how flustered everybody was, and he found himself quite relieved that his presence wasn't drawing the usual attention he received. Nearly everyone was panicking, venting, or arguing with one, and it all added up into one rather chaotic mess.
The only time Steven could remember stepping into a League meeting to find a scene anywhere near as distressed was when teams Aqua and Magma were foolishly attempting to harness the power of the Legendary Pokémon of land and sea, which felt like a lifetime ago. That situation held marginally more imminent danger than what the region faced currently, not only due to the fact that Legendary Pokémon were involved, but because of the very real risk of entire regions vanishing overnight and mass extermination from much of Earth potentially becoming inhospitable. Legendary Pokémon were never something you wanted to contend with, but in most cases it was a matter of attempting to contain their rampage while minimizing casualties until they could calm down from whatever idiocy humans had done to disturb them.
Though there were some exceptions, the vast majority of Legendary Pokémon went to extreme lengths to keep themselves out of direct contact with humans. They tended to live a secluded life where they could keep a watchful eye on their domain until they felt compelled to intervene, which was usually subtle and altruistic. Thankfully, most Legendaries either had a soft spot for humans, or at minimum a certain level of tolerance for them that made them take our wellbeing into consideration. Yet history showed that humans had a knack for provoking them through carelessness and recklessness, and occasionally they would feel compelled to make more drastic interventions.
When that happened, death and destruction were almost surely to follow unless they could be soothed or dissuaded, which thankfully we had a good track record of doing. Not flawless by any means, as a few lost ancient civilizations would tell you if they could, but at least in Steven's lifetime there hadn't been any catastrophe that had resulted in major loss of life. A few close calls for sure, but long gone were the days of Legendaries capable of rational thought questioning our place in the natural order of things and if the world would be better off without us.
Of course, the situations with Magma and Aqua had been a little different since they'd gotten their hands on the colored orbs, and you couldn't really consider Kyogre and Groudon as being capable of rational thought anyway. But at its core, it was yet another instance of humans forcing the involvement of Legendaries without fully understanding the potential consequences.
All things considered, humanity had been largely lucky that Champions and Elite Four could usually intervene before things got too bad to either reason with or wear out the Legendary enough for their blinding rage to subside enough for them to return to obscurity. That was one of the primary reasons the roles even existed after all, and as much as some might believe that the positions were more glorified than useful, they took their responsibilities seriously when it mattered most. The fact that people weren't even aware of most of the most difficult work they did was a testament to their effectiveness, even if it was a relatively rare occurrence.
That said, although one could argue that the current situation didn't quite rise to the same level as some of history's close brushes with Legendaries, that was really only if you considered the direct and immediate risks involved. Between Pokérus being something that had to be revealed to the public in order to be properly addressed, and the fact that there was serious potential for fallout and discontentment that was likely to continue long beyond the League's plans to tackle the issue, this truly was an unprecedented event that could do untold damage to public sentiment and trust. Most times, the public was never made aware of things whenever there was a potential catastrophe, but that obviously wasn't an option here.
Oh, and there was one final thing that set this particular potential catastrophe apart from the rest, which was the fact that Steven Stone was directly responsible for it. He was probably the only one attending the meeting who felt that way, but considering the overwhelming majority of them weren't even aware of his role, that wasn't saying much.
"Glad you could make it, Champ. Got the family safely tucked away?" a familiar voice asked from the seat beside Steven, which he hadn't even noticed had become occupied.
"I really wish you'd stop calling me that," Steven said with a sigh, knowing it was a pointless request. "But yes, as safe as can be given the circumstances," Steven answered with a faint smile, happy to see his old friend and successor as Champion.
"Samantha too?" Wallace asked more quietly after leaning in, to which Steven only nodded.
"Good, good," Wallace sighed in relief as he leaned back in his chair. "The lockdown and virus are one thing, but with Team Rocket apparently deciding to capitalize on the situation to come back with a vengeance… Well, I'd pity anyone foolish enough to try making a move on Roxanne, but it's good you got your daughter somewhere safe. It's better to be cautious until their motives become more clear and things settle down."
"I can only pray that happens soon. I'd hoped this was all one big mistake and that the Rockets might be content to watch as we scrambled to attempt a return to relative normalcy, but considering their stunt today I'm not too optimistic that this isn't part of some grander plan. Thankfully my daughter was able to see reason after a lengthy discussion, even if she wasn't too happy about it. She can be rather stubborn about her ambitions."
"I know about that all too well," Wallace chuckled. "It's been a few years since I've been able to spend much time around her, but from what you say she reminds me a lot of my niece when she was younger. Determined to carve her own path regardless of the risks and burdens of her family name… I'm exceedingly proud of her for persevering despite all the negativity directed at her for being related to me. She even owned it, ignoring my strong caution that she separate herself from me and use a stage name, but I'd say things turned out for the best. I wouldn't be surprised if your daughter ended up doing the same, since it's near impossible to keep things hidden when you're in the public eye."
"There are some parallels for sure, but you have to admit that it's a little different," Steven pointed out. "For one thing, you were a coordinator as well before becoming Champion, so Lisia had to find a way to get out of your shadow in the same profession while Samantha has no such issue. I also don't mean any offense to you dear friend, but my family is viewed rather favorably by the region in comparison. The success of Devon causes concern for her safety, but she's largely distancing herself from the name because she doesn't want special treatment, not because it would be detrimental."
Wallace looked around to make sure nobody was listening in before leaning in once again and lowering his tone even more than before. "Take it from me friend – losing public favor is shockingly easy. No matter how much goodwill you think you've built over the years, all it takes is one scandal and it's forever tarnished, deserved or not. Given what's happening right now, I'm sure I don't need to point out to you just how real that possibility is," Wallace said seriously before leaning back in his chair and growing a distant look.
Oh, how frighteningly true that was. Wallace was not only one of the very few people who knew the depths of his involvement in the current situation, but was also undoubtedly the person who could most sympathize with the situation he was in. Truthfully, most of the general public wouldn't be happy to learn that Wallace was still a trusted League advisor who attended many of these important meetings, but everybody in the room had enough sense to keep his continued involvement quiet.
In Steven's personal opinion, you'd have to be pretty narrow-sighted to turn your nose up to an ex-Champion who was perfectly willing to offer help, advice, and expertise simply because members of the public decided to blame him for things largely beyond his control. While there was a fairly diverse selection of personalities in the room, not a single one of them could be considered unintelligent. Arrogant or self-serving perhaps, but Steven strongly advocating for Wallace's involvement behind closed doors had quickly caused most with reservations to change their tune, and those who still had reservations had enough sense to keep it to themselves.
After all, Wallace was not only a close friend and confidante, but one of the few people Steven might consider a true 'peer'. He might have been forced to distance himself from Wallace publicly by Devon's very insistent public relations team, but he'd never stop being his friend or advocating on his behalf wherever possible.
There was also the slight matter of Steven having always felt somewhat responsible for Wallace's fall from grace. Steven had been Champion during the height of teams Magma and Aqua, but had stepped down not long after their stunt with the colored orbs for a number of reasons, though he'd readily admit that being responsible for quelling Legendaries when he had a family to go home to served as an eye-opener. After falling in love and having a child, Steven had known that it was only a matter of time before he would feel compelled to step down, but that event had surely expedited his decision to do so. He hadn't exactly planned on becoming a family man when he'd taken the position of Champion, but then again falling in love is hardly something one can anticipate.
Though it wasn't often spoken about, it didn't take a genius to realize why most Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champions were single and childless. Some like Roxanne, Norman, Koga, and Alder had made it work for varying lengths and degrees of success, but being tasked with putting your life on the line tended to make a lot more sense when you didn't have a family to go home to.
Looking back, Steven felt as though him stepping down had set Wallace up for failure. With the leaders and many high-ranking members of Hoenn's two eco-terrorist groups either incarcerated or dead, it appeared that the groups would fall apart and fade into obscurity after blowing their shot at realizing their master plans. While that was mostly what happened, something that both Steven and Wallace hadn't accounted for was Team Rocket laying roots in the region and soaking up many of the lower-ranking members of Magma and Aqua. The two groups had been so egregiously callous that it was decided not to offer any leniency for known members who had managed to evade custody, leaving them with little choice but to continue a life of crime under a new banner.
Few these days would argue that Team Rocket wouldn't have nearly as much footing in the region if they hadn't had that wave of mass recruitment from Hoenn natives. But by the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late and Wallace was blamed, although he was simply supporting what Steven had put into motion.
There was precedent for forgiving the crimes of those who had been coerced or tricked into joining criminal organizations, but Magma and Aqua were rather unique when compared to something like Team Rocket. They didn't strongarm or recruit orphans and the impoverished – it was a generation of trainers concerned about the human impact on the environment, and wanting a fresh slate. Best anyone could tell, they had all joined willingly, even if you could argue some were misguided or not fully aware of the possible implications of the goals they were striving for. But Steven and Wallace had seen no reason to turn a blind eye to their crimes and transgressions, at least not at the time.
Looking back, it probably would have been for the best just to give them a pass and pardon all but those giving the orders, but nobody could have known Team Rocket would choose then to set up operations in the region. Granted, Team Rocket likely would have taken root even without the help of displaced Magma and Aqua members, but it wouldn't have been nearly as rapid or pronounced.
The room suddenly went quiet and people began quickly taking their seats. Steven didn't need to look at the door to see who had entered, since he was well aware of how these things went, but he did anyway when he noticed three people out of the corner of his eye rather than the two he expected.
The two more obvious new arrivals were Champion Tucker and the Hoenn League president, Elena Finch. Steven always found the dichotomy between the two quite a sight to behold, especially when standing next to each other. Always playing up his persona, Tucker dressed flashy and demanded attention with his eccentric personality, while President Finch was largely unassuming. Apart from her formal attire and the fact that she looked like she belonged in a boardroom, at a glance someone likely wouldn't assume that she was the top brass of the Hoenn branch of the Pokémon League. Steven had never seen her in anything but a professional setting, but he imagined that she'd blend right into a crowd if she let her hair down and ditched her signature pencil skirt and high heels for something a little more casual.
Largely, Steven had a good impression of her, although not initially. She bordered on being too uptight, but considering the responsibilities that fell on her shoulders he couldn't blame her too much for her no-nonsense attitude. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her laugh or joke around, but it was also entirely possible that could be a result of them having never gotten too closely acquainted. Historically, the only time they interacted was during meetings like this, where she was among the last to arrive and first to leave.
After all, she hadn't held the position when Steven was Champion, and she was a very busy woman. Despite that, Steven was rather shocked that she had allowed herself to arrive to this meeting late – something he was quite sure had never happened. She was notorious for her stringent timekeeping, and he took her tardiness as yet another sign of just how strange this entire situation was.
But that paled in comparison to the fact that the duo was accompanied by a man Steven hadn't seen in years, and who was largely responsible for the misgivings he'd once had about President Finch. As different as Champion Tucker was from President Finch, one could argue that the previous President, Charles Goodshow, was even more of a contrast, although in an entirely different way. He was a jolly, spirited old man who never took things too seriously, almost the exact polar opposite of his replacement.
Well, if you wanted to get technical, that wasn't quite what President Finch was. She headed the Hoenn branch of the Pokémon League, whereas Charles Goodshow was the last true President of the entire League. When he had stepped down, it was decided that there were too many branches of the League to justify having one sole President, so now each had its own and they voted on League-wide policy decisions, although quite a bit was still left to the discretion of each individual region's branch.
President Finch was always in business mode, calculating the worst possible outcomes of any given situation in order to mitigate risk. She never had time for pleasantries, and had an extremely low tolerance for anything that wasn't optimal or productive. By contrast, Charles Goodshow always made time for the simpler things in life, and even when he was taking something 'serious' he never lost his boundless pep and optimism.
Put simply, Charles Goodshow was a man who led with a lot of heart, while Elena Finch set that aside in favor of using her head. Goodshow was a master at seeing the hope and opportunity even the bleakest of situations held, and inspired people by never faltering even in the face of extreme adversity. Elena Finch was pragmatic, bordering on pessimistic, and always made contingency plans for the worst-case scenario, no matter how unlikely.
Given that, it was all the more surprising that Team Rocket had just stolen untold amounts of Pokémon from various Pokécenters across the region, considering she'd specifically anticipated something like that and planned around it. But from what Steven could tell from the preliminary reports he'd seen in the news, it seemed they'd circumvented the majority of the safeguards that had been put in place. That concerned him deeply, because it meant they were not only more organized and thoughtful than he'd hoped, but also likely had access to insider information from some of their previous meetings.
Logically, Steven would have to say that Elena Finch had the right disposition for the job, but in practice he found that he much preferred Charles' approach to things, and he dearly missed working alongside the man. The fact that he had come out of retirement to offer his help was equal parts comforting and unnerving. Though he required a cane to walk, Steven was extremely glad to see that he was not only still on his feet, but still bore his unwavering cheerfulness.
"Steven, my boy! How's the wife and kids?" the old man warmly greeted him with a pat on the shoulder, ignoring the fact that everybody was quieting down and taking their seats to make a quick stop by Steven's seat.
"As good as can be expected. I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but these aren't exactly what I'd call ideal circumstances," Steven replied with a pained smile.
"Bah. I know things are hard right now, probably more for you than most, but keep your chin up. Take it from an old man like me – a little optimism and faith can go a long way."
"Sometimes, that isn't quite enough. I think I'm a testament to that," Wallace interjected, giving Mr. Goodshow a smile and nod as he was suddenly noticed.
"Wallace, good to see you lad! It's true, but just look at you – still pushing forward and persevering, highly respected by anyone with some sense. I know it hasn't always been easy for you, but keep your chin up. I think you'd be surprised just how many people still admire you, even if it's not popular to voice that. Why just last week, I overheard–"
"Everyone, please take a seat. We're already behind schedule, and time is as valuable a commodity as ever," President Finch interrupted, not directly addressing Goodshow but surely saying that for his benefit, as he was the only one not yet sitting. Goodshow patted Wallace on the shoulder before taking his seat, and the few people who had been having hushed conversations fell silent.
"Thank you all for being here. I'm sure we all have plenty on our plate, so let's get down to business," President Finch said seriously, her eyes scanning the room to make sure she had everyone's attention. "Before we begin, I'd like to once again remind you that nothing discussed in this meeting is to leave this room. That includes journalists, friends, and family. I know some of you have played rather fast and loose with this rule, and while I can understand the desire to ensure those we care about make it through these troubling times, we must ensure that confidentiality is being properly upheld, particularly now that Team Rocket is getting increasingly brazen."
Steven didn't miss the fact that President Finch glanced right at him for part of that spiel, but he wasn't about to apologize for what he'd done. Given how uniquely vulnerable the situation left him and his family, there was no way that he was going to leave them completely in the dark. In fact, he was rather proud of himself for how much of the truly confidential stuff he'd managed to avoid discussing – mostly because it was largely irrelevant to keeping them safe.
True, he'd probably said some things he shouldn't have, particularly to Samantha, but he hadn't seen any other way of convincing her to come home. As much as he loved his daughter, she was undoubtedly the most stubborn Stone, which was really saying something when compared to him and his wife. Of course, Steven knew he was just as bad when he was her age, possibly even worse, and Roxanne had always been rather stubborn in her own right on certain matters. Still, getting Samantha to compromise on something she felt strongly about was a difficult task that took a careful approach, and he'd simply seen no other way of getting her to come home than by explaining the majority of the situation to her.
Steven was only mildly surprised that the President would have already pieced together that he'd convinced his daughter to return home before the lockdown went into effect. Likely, Samantha's Pokédex suddenly pinging from Rustboro after being near Fallarbor was all but confirmation, and although he wasn't too familiar with the specifics he'd heard that the League had systems in place to alert them of unusual movements of notable trainers they kept tabs on. Samantha was surely one of those, although unique in that her most notable aspect was her family name rather than her capabilities.
It annoyed him, but only slightly. Viewed another way, it proved that the League was taking his request to help keep her safe at least somewhat seriously. Besides, Steven didn't believe for a second he was the only person in the room who had prepared family for the lockdown, he was just the only one who could easily be caught doing so.
"Now then," President Finch continued, "Before we talk about the most pressing matter, let's quickly review for propriety's sake. We've successfully instituted the agreed-upon restrictions, and notified the region's citizens through all available media channels. By our estimates, the initial notification should have reached roughly ninety-six percent of the population. If we consider word of mouth and ongoing media coverage, that number is expected to reach ninety-nine by the end of the evening. The amount of nomads, undocumented persons, and those living completely off the grid is fairly negligible and shouldn't hamper progress, but after this initial rush is over Rangers will be on the lookout for anybody who may be unaware of the lockdown as we begin to comb the region in the coming days."
Thorough as always, Steven thought to himself. Most people would be content with ninety-six percent of the region having been notified and would assume that the remainder would resolve themselves over the coming days, but leave it to Elena Finch to push that number to its absolute limit.
"So far, compliance rates have been within acceptable limits. We estimate that by midnight, roughly eight-four percent of citizens will have submitted their Pokémon for initial screening. By tomorrow evening, we hope to see ninety-five percent compliance, and at that point we'll consider the grace period over, compiling a list of those not in compliance and beginning the necessary investigations. In all likelihood, the large majority of those remaining will turn out to be deceased Pokémon that haven't been properly reported, something not wholly uncommon. By far the two segments we are most uncertain of are those that outright refuse to comply, and those that choose to ignore our initial plea but can be swayed after a more direct warning of the repercussions. We don't anticipate insurmountable levels of dissent, but public opinion is fickle and can change in the blink of an eye."
She glanced at Wallace for that last bit, something that annoyed Steven more than it should have. But she continued without missing a beat.
"So long as non-compliance doesn't rise above four percent, we should be ultimately successful in this campaign. However, there are a number of factors at play that could cause issues. Public trust in our competence aside, Team Rocket has obviously chosen to take this opportunity to further their own ambitions. This is unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. Historically, Team Rocket doesn't have a good track record of swaying public opinion, but considering the fact that they've been making a number of uncharacteristic moves lately, we can't rule out the possibility of them somehow rallying a portion of the public in their favor, or causing trust in us to resolve the situation to diminish. We will closely monitor their activities and respond accordingly, which brings me to our most pressing topic…"
Steven didn't miss the way that she had carefully avoided mentioning Team Rocket's involvement in the virus even being spread to the public, only implying that they were being opportunistic. For the majority of people in this room, the fact that Team Rocket had stolen the virus from Devon was something they hadn't been made privy to. Though he dearly hoped that would continue to remain the case, Steven was finding himself increasingly doubtful that would be possible.
"As many of you know by now, Team Rocket has inserted themselves into this situation. Considering the fact that they had been all but silent until today, and the fact that they made such a coordinated effort perfectly timed around this announcement, we're led to believe that their involvement rises above mere opportunism."
Steven felt himself begin to sweat a little as many people in the room began sharing hushed whispers. The original plan that had been agreed upon was to deny Team Rocket's involvement in the release of the virus and to not share the fact that they had stolen the sample from Devon, and he dearly hoped that was still the case.
"It pains me to say this, but Team Rocket has been two steps ahead of us, despite our best efforts. We tried to act swiftly and decisively, and nobody other than those in this room was made aware of the impending lockdown. Yet the facts are clear – they knew when our announcement was going out, they knew about the mandatory screenings and other details we'd discussed here in previous meetings, and they planned around it. Most of you will have heard by now that a number of Pokécenters in the region were targeted by Team Rocket following the announcement. Oldale, Fallarbor, Fortree, Lavaridge, and Verdanturf are all confirmed to have been targeted, with varying levels of success."
Steven felt his heart rate spike at the mention of Fallarbor, but it only reaffirmed that what he'd done was the correct thing to do. If he hadn't gotten to Samantha in time, or managed to convince her to stay home…
"I shouldn't need to point out what these locations all have in common, but I'll do so anyway for the sake of clarity. Not only are they some of our region's more remote and unpopulated areas, but it conveniently leaves out all the places that we chose to assign the bulk of our security forces. I'd hate to suggest that we have a mole in our midst, since it's not impossible that they could have obtained the information through no intentional betrayal by anybody here, but it's clear that despite our best efforts, they've got the advantage of information on their side."
The atmosphere in the room grew tense, and people shifted uncomfortably. Nobody in the room would be there had they not already submitted themselves to strict background checks and followed the League's stringent security procedures, but the proof was in the pudding that it was still inadequate.
"As such, most of you will be dismissed in the coming minutes. I understand everyone's desire to be kept in the loop on what is happening during these turbulent times, however we must limit the possible avenues of information leaking – inadvertent or otherwise. Only those most critical to the planning and strategizing of our next steps will be allowed to remain, and this will be the last meeting most of you will be allowed to attend on this matter."
Unsurprisingly, that declaration broke the usual meeting decorum as people began to speak out of turn.
"I vehemently object! How am I expected to keep doing business in Hoenn when I'm completely paralyzed by these asinine restrictions? My business is all but shuttered until this lockdown lifts, and now you're telling me that I won't be made privy to the progress being made to lift it? I have invested significant resources in this region, and I deserve to be part of the conversations that directly impact the future of my business. Unless you're suggesting my contributions aren't worthy of consideration."
That came from Arthur, one of the many self-important businesspeople in the meeting. In fact… by Steven's estimates, about half of the people currently sitting in the room were investors and business owners who were here more out of concern for their bottom line than for seeking an actual resolution to the ongoing crisis. He wasn't alone either, since immediately after multiple others voiced their agreement with Arthur's sentiments.
Sure, they were all important in their own right. They wouldn't be here if they didn't serve some sort of vital role in the modern operation of Hoenn. In the room were the major players of most sectors – from construction to transportation, manufacturing to distribution, there was a little bit of everything represented in some form or another. But realistically, most of them didn't have anything meaningful to contribute when it came to planning. They were only there to push back against anything that might negatively impact them, and to gather information so they could best plan for the survival of their enterprise, even if there was only so much they could act on.
That meeting where the restrictions had been decided upon… Well, Steven rarely found true enjoyment out of these sorts of meetings, but seeing the look on so many peoples' faces when they realized their business was about to be severely limited or entirely put on pause had made that simultaneously the best and worst meeting he'd ever attended.
He really shouldn't have found it amusing, because it was no laughing matter and there were livelihoods on the line, but it was a once in a lifetime thing he couldn't help but take some small enjoyment in witnessing.
Steven could empathize with many of them, being a business owner himself. But a few things set him apart, with one of the big ones being that he had once been Champion. Even if that hadn't been the case, he still wouldn't have found himself among them though. The simple fact of the matter was that Devon was on an entirely different level in terms of importance to the region, especially when Pokémon were apart of the conversation.
True, nearly everyone in the room had some sort of Pokémon-related expertise. But as far as usefulness in helping to understand and resolve the ongoing situation… Devon was utterly unmatched.
"I understand this is disappointing," President Finch spoke authoritatively, cutting off what was quickly becoming an unruly room of grown adults throwing tantrums. "Rest assured, we'll keep you all updated to the best of our abilities, and are working tirelessly to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. However, for that to happen, we must not allow our work to be undermined. We'll be setting up a daily conference call to keep all of you informed on our progress, but the primary purpose of this meeting has always been to discuss and determine the best course of action for the region. We have too many cooks in the proverbial kitchen, and having our plans leaked before they even get implemented is proving absolutely detrimental, as we're seeing."
A few more people spoke up in an attempt to object, but President Finch continued. "It's because of the information leaked from these meetings that we are currently in a situation where hundreds, possibly even thousands of Pokémon have just been stolen by Team Rocket today alone."
That shut most people up on the spot, and even sent a shiver down Steven's spine. He'd known the Rockets had more success today than they had any right to, but hundreds… thousands?
"We're still getting exact figures, yet preliminary reports all but confirm that the number of stolen Pokémon is likely to exceed a thousand after the final count. Oldale, Lavaridge, and Fortree were able to repel their respective heists to varying degrees, but Fallarbor and Verdanturf weren't so lucky. We can only be thankful that not every Pokécenter was completely overwhelmed to the point of having to resort to holding Pokéballs overnight for screening, but an unacceptable number were, which largely contributed to the astronomically high numbers. Which, unfortunately, brings me to my next point…"
She cast a serious gaze across the room. "Even for Team Rocket, this was unusually coordinated and planned. Obviously, they knew that a lockdown was coming and planned accordingly, even selecting their targets in the areas we had the lowest concentration of Rangers present. But they didn't stop there. Our Pokécenter Chansey have tested positive for Pokérus upon getting the screening procedure this morning. Every. Single. One. More accurately, all those that were stationed on the mainland – it appears Team Rocket didn't bother visiting any of our islands for reasons we can only speculate. Not only that, but half our region's Gym Leaders had most of their Pokémon infected, Lavaridge and Verdanturf included."
Steven couldn't believe what he was hearing, yet she continued before he could even think of the implications. "As we've discussed previously, there's a roughly fourty-eight hour window where a newly infected Pokémon doesn't show symptoms, but can still spread the virus. None of those we've spoken to report having noticed any symptoms, and they were all equally astounded to learn they'd been exposed so heavily. This means that Team Rocket performed a coordinated infection within the last two days, both on Pokecenters and many of our gyms, but especially the ones in locations they planned to target. Naturally, we'll be closely reviewing those who might have been responsible and conducting a thorough investigation, but at best we'll find low-level grunts that have been purposely left in the dark about anything that could prove beneficial."
"We're assembling a task force," Champion Tucker spoke up for the first time as he stood up, receiving an approving nod from the President. "At this very moment, the Elite Four are having a preliminary meeting to discuss strategy. This cannot go unpunished. For far too long, Team Rocket has been allowed to persist. We may not have any hope of permanently erasing them, particularly since they now operate in so many regions, but we can make damn sure they pay for what they've done to our home. Resources are obviously stretched thin right now, but I believe that even a small team of highly capable individuals can prove catastrophic for their operations, if applied appropriately. We'll ramp up as lockdown is lifted and more manpower becomes available, but we plan to get started immediately."
To Steven's surprise, Tucker turned and faced him directly. "Mr. Stone, I know you might not be in your prime and that you're an extremely busy man, but there's no question of your capabilities. This might be presumptuous, but would you please assist me? Even if you decline to directly join us on the field, your expertise would prove invaluable in tracking them down and strategizing our points of attack."
Steven hesitated before nodding, but only slightly. He knew Roxanne would not be happy to learn he was helping to spearhead a campaign against Team Rocket – in general, she wasn't a fan of him getting his hands dirty or being put in any sort of risk. He was largely an advisor, although it wasn't exactly unheard of for him to offer assistance, like how he was now helping to develop improved methods for performing the Pokérus screening.
Still, he wanted to help however he could. Not only did he view the lockdown and spread of Pokérus as his fault, but he was also at least partially to blame for Team Rocket's current foothold in Hoenn. He'd have to wait and see what the task force had in mind before agreeing to do any direct involvement like battling, but it wasn't out of the question either. If ever there was a situation that provoked his intervention, it would be this.
"I'd like to help too," Wallace said firmly. From the look Tucker gave, Steven thought he might actually decline his offer, but Wallace pressed the issue before he got the chance. "As you know, I'm largely attributed to Team Rocket's presence in our region. I may not agree with some people's interpretation of the situation that led to the Rockets taking root in Hoenn, but if there's an opportunity to hit them back I'd love to help however possible. Though few still have love for me, I still love Hoenn. It's always been my home, and I want to fight for it. I don't mean to flatter myself, but I am quite the capable fighter, so surely you can find some use for me."
There were a couple of chuckles and snorts at that last comment as Tucker cast a quick glance at President Finch, who gave the slightest bow of her head. Tucker then gave Wallace a nod in acceptance, although Steven got the distinct feeling he wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of Wallace joining.
Steven and Tucker had their own sort of distant, strained relationship… At least in Steven's personal opinion. Tucker would occasionally act like they were best friends, but that had grown increasingly rare the more he'd settled into his role as Champion. But Wallace… Well, Tucker never exactly went to great lengths to hide his distaste for his predecessor, although he was subtle in how he expressed it.
If you asked Steven, it was mostly borne of envy because Wallace had possessed more presence and showmanship when Champion, something that Tucker also did but to less effect. Though not the biggest fan of Tucker, Steven didn't think he blamed Wallace for the situation with Team Rocket. If anything, Wallace stepping down was the reason he had the job, at least as early as he did.
In fairness, he probably would have gotten it eventually because Tucker was by no means a push-over, and he was a very successful generalist unlike Wallace. In fact, back when the Battle Frontier was still operating, Tucker had been hired as a 'Frontier Brain' and served as the commissioner of the Battle Dome. He was referred to as the 'Dome Ace', and served as the final challenger those hoping to conquer the facility would have to overcome. To this day, there were still some that would call him Ace, although Tucker tended to correct those people and remind them he was now Champion.
He'd already been exceptionally skilled back then, but these days he was even stronger. His team now consisted of a Swampert, Arcanine, Salamence, Charizard, Metagross, and Gigalith, and although Steven was quite confident he'd have beaten Tucker in his prime, he wouldn't stake money on it these days.
Unless it was a battle of Metagross, of course. Tucker had a remarkably powerful Metagross, but Steven was firmly of the opinion that his was still the most powerful in the world, and he'd bet his fortune on that. Not that he'd ever realistically have that chance though, and even if he did Roxanne would never allow it, but a man had to believe in something, and there was nothing that Steven believed in more than his partner and ace.
A few others in the room voiced their desire to join Tucker's task force, but it seemed that only Steven and Wallace were to be accepted on the spot. The rest were told that they would be reached out to individually, although Steven suspected that most of them wouldn't be receiving that call. If they were going after Team Rocket so directly, they surely wanted to keep the group tight-knit, and most of the people in the room weren't even what you would consider capable trainers.
There was one person that Steven did hope was invited – someone who voiced their complete support, and was an old friend that both Steven and Wallace trusted completely. Though he wasn't exactly known for his capabilities as a trainer, he was nonetheless a capable trainer. He also had a long and sorted history with Team Rocket and surely wanted to stamp them out just as badly as anybody possibly could, and there was little doubt he could assist in less direct ways.
David Stern – owner of Stern's Shipyard, facilitator of the vast majority of the region's imports and exports, and something of a potential competitor to Steven with the birth of his new company, Flagship. But Steven had nothing but the utmost respect for the man, and they'd been remarkably good friends at one point in time. They still kept in touch, but with both of them having families and businesses to attend to they weren't nearly as close as they had once been. Still, if Steven were to compile a list of who he thought should assist in this task force, David Stern would be extremely high on that list.
"With that all sorted, one final note," President Finch said, commanding attention once again as Tucker took his seat. "We are in unprecedented times. I know it's easy to say that, but it's true. Never has there been a more real risk to the trust and confidence the public places in the League. We anticipated resistance and public discontent when we first discussed the potential of a region-wide lockdown, but with Team Rocket's recent activities this situation has frankly escalated to an entirely new level. Nobody wants to be told their vacation plans are cancelled, or that Pokémon are responsible for our region grinding to a near standstill. Now, with these latest developments, we've never looked more incompetent."
She scowled, "We ordered an entire region to submit their Pokémon for mandatory screening, and made them watch as their partners, companions, and family members were snatched by thugs. It's hard to say exactly what Team Rocket has planned, because it's surely something big considering the effort and coordination being put into this, but a few things are abundantly clear. They want to sow distrust and chaos, they're bolstering their ranks, and they've got some sort of plan they're putting into action. We must take control of this situation and quickly return this region back to normal order. In the last twenty-four hours, reports have started to surface of the virus appearing in Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh. I ask all of you this – should they suffer a similar fate to us, who will most blame; Team Rocket or Hoenn?"
That was a truly alarming prospect, and she was entirely correct. If other regions began to experience a pandemic or were forced to enact a similar lockdown, it would be Hoenn they pointed the finger at. Hoenn was the 'birthplace' of the virus, the proverbial ground zero. The particulars and nuance of how it happened would be completely irrelevant, even if it came out that Team Rocket had stolen it and strategically released it into the world.
When all was said and done, it would be Hoenn that was blamed for allowing it to spread, regardless of how decisive or strong our response was.
"That's all for now. I'd give you a more detailed status update, but we have a lot of work to do so you'll have to wait until tomorrow. My assistant will reach out soon with details regarding the daily conference call I discussed so we can keep you updated on the progress we're making toward lifting lockdown restrictions. I apologize that this meeting is no longer able to accommodate so many of you, but given the situation I'm sure you can understand why forward strategy must be left to as few as possible. If there is a mole among you, make sure you tell Team Rocket we're coming after them. Moreover, please pass along that I personally wish them the best of luck in their continued operation in Hoenn and in getting those stolen Pokémon out of the region – they'll need all the luck they can get. Those of you I haven't already spoken to, you are dismissed. Thank you for your time."
The majority of the room stood, reluctantly making their way toward the door. Even to Steven's side, Wallace stood and gave a pained grimace as he made his way to the door, and Steven would have felt bad for him if a startling realization hadn't suddenly occurred to him.
He hadn't been talked to about this either.
He glanced up to the head of the table, and the looks he was met with told him everything.
Tucker pretended to suddenly be incredibly interested in the trim patterns along the ceiling.
Mr. Goodshow avoided his eyes and looked more crestfallen than he could ever remember.
But most obvious was President Finch, who met his eyes unflinchingly and gave the slightest flick of her head toward the door.
Steven painfully accepted the truth of the situation, standing and making his way out of the room. Whether for his inadvertent role in the spread of Pokérus, or Team Rocket making a mockery out of the League over the last twenty-four hours, or perhaps the fact that he had clearly broken confidentiality on some level with his family, the results were clear – was no longer welcome among the 'inner circle'.
Thankfully, he took some small solace in the fact that he had been personally invited to challenge Team Rocket, and the fact that Devon was still being trusted to aid in improved screening. They had also been tasked with trying to find a cure, but as things stood Steven didn't have high hopes on the success of that. Once Pokérus settled into a Pokémons brain, it seemed all but impossible to remove it without taking extreme measures, and even then he wasn't sure it was feasible.
That was all good news, and meant that they didn't seriously consider him to be some sort of liability. But to be excluded from the important decision-making that was sure to take place soon meant that he had lost a considerable amount of faith and respect. He could only hope that it wasn't the prelude to them deciding to throw him under the bus when all was said and done, although he felt reasonably certain they would do everything in their power to prevent that.
But the chance wasn't zero either, and that deeply worried Steven.
Steven had thought things couldn't get much worse when he left that meeting, yet he was of course proven wrong almost immediately after. When he finally made his way to the ground floor and retrieved his phone and Pokéballs from the security checkpoint, the voicemail that he found waiting for him was even more gut-wrenching than any of the realizations he'd had in the meeting. Being ousted from the inner circle, allowing Pokérus to be stolen, causing a regional lockdown, being the root cause for potentially thousands of stolen Pokémon, and the possibility of him indirectly causing regions to go to war after what had been the world's longest period of peace… All those things, as difficult to bear as they were, hadn't hit him nearly as hard as what he heard in that voicemail.
Or perhaps, it was the culmination of all those things, and the voicemail was just what finally caused him to to buckle under the weight of everything. Whatever the case, Steven found himself unable to remain composed as he left the headquarters and sent out his Metagross, despite his best efforts.
It was his daughter crying – devastated, frantic, angry, and wracked with guilt. It was hard to hear her through her broken voice, panic, and wildly swinging emotions, but Steven understood the gist.
That orphan boy Samantha had grown rather close to had been in Lavaridge, which was one of the places the Rockets had targeted. Steven kicked himself for not having pieced it together when he'd heard the news that Flannery and an elite-level Ranger had engaged Rockets in a massive clash on the streets of Lavaridge. He was vaguely aware that Daniel would be there, but it had never occured to him that he'd end up directly involved in what happened.
Apparently, he had. He was currently in a coma, and his team was in rough shape. Incidentally, Steven was briefly reminded that he still owed that boy the Dawn Stone that he'd promised and recently procured – he'd just been exceptionally busy and hadn't seen fit to rush its delivery since the boy couldn't even use it yet.
Samantha was completely focused on what she could have done, her hatred of Team Rocket, and the wellbeing of her friend. She didn't seem to blame him for what had happened, not yet anyway, although he wouldn't fault her if she soon reached that conclusion. She didn't need to though, because Steven was his own worst critic.
That, along with so much of what was happening, was his fault.
Thousands of stolen Pokémon.
Rapidly eroding trust in the Pokémon League, which had served to keep humanity safe for hundreds of years.
The ever-increasing possibility of tensions between regions rising to the point of war.
His own potential fall from grace, and consequently the fall of Devon, which served as the livelihood for thousands of people.
And so much more… All of it weighed on Steven greatly, but none more than the sound of his daughter's voice in such distress.
Up until that point, he'd managed to bear the weight of it all while staying composed. But with that voicemail, the house of cards collapsed around him and Steven could no longer calmly pretend that everything was alright.
As Steven sprinted for the entrance and released his Metagross, completely ignoring the stares he received or Metagross rooting through his mind trying to piece together what had him so out of sorts, Steven felt tears grace his cheeks for the first time in a long time.
A/N: Sorry for leaving Daniel's story on a short cliffhanger, I know most of you probably want to know how things ended up. This chapter was absolutely necessary for a number of reasons, hopefully you can see why. I personally think it came out quite excellently, and I had a ton of fun writing it, so hopefully you enjoyed it. Don't worry, we're back to Daniel next chapter – no more POV swaps in the next handful of chapters.
Shoutout to Faefox for kinda sorta somewhat beta-reading this chapter, and to those of you who positively received last week's chapter. If you think it was too dark, you ignored the warning on the very first chapter and must have glossed over the Taillow and Geodude scenes. If you haven't realized by now that this story gets pretty dark sometimes, or that Daniel is not a flawless person and won't always come out on top, you haven't been paying attention.
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