Usually a meeting between representatives of every member region of the PWL would be held at the HQ of the PWL, which is situated on an island that is halfway between each member regions. It is a landmass that is home to many migratory pokemon where they can stop to catch a break on their long journey. Not many are granted an audience here due to the importance of this place to the world.
Unfortunately for me, I will not be visiting PWL's HQ this time. The meeting for the setting up of the International Police and related affairs are held in Johto this year. It is partly because Indigo's National Day is coming up soon and as a show of goodwill, we are all invited by Lance to watch the proceedings as VIPs. Something like this had never been done before. Never had a region invited people of important status from another region to view their National Day proceedings before. This is a sign of improvement, a big step ahead for the larger collaboration that is to come.
The meeting that I will be attending is a meeting between the different representatives of the various regions. The Hoenn League had sent in Drake and Steven together with me. Steven will not be around often enough to help as he is Hoenn's future Champion, but there is a good reason for him to be there for this coming meeting. He is the future Hoenn Champion. This meeting is a very good opportunity to showcase the strength of Hoenn's future Champion to the world. On top of that, Steven can use this opportunity to do some PR-related stuff to strengthen Hoenn's relations with the other regions. Bringing our future Champion along with us also shows Hoenn's sincerity in wanting to help solve this global crisis.
I cannot help but mentally applaud at the Hoenn League's ability to make full use of every single situation to our advantage. I have close to no exposure to politics and I know this is barely the tip of the iceberg, but I still cannot help but be impressed.
Right now, we are on our way to Johto by surfing through the sea route with the S.S. Fury. Drake is the captain of this ship and every single sailor on board are his crew.
"MUAHAHAHA! Come on up, Vel! It's not that bad! The ship's not swaying too much yet!"
"I think I will stay here for a little longer, Drake." I replied from where I am surfing beside the S.S. Fury by riding on Chill's back, an opened umbrella in hand to block out the harsh sunlight with Rena and Fuzzy beside me to keep me company. Chill is also constantly releasing a wave of slight chilly breeze from her body to help me in dealing with the heat. I have no idea why, but I am prone to seasickness whenever I ride on boats and ships. The funny thing is that the same problem does not apply when I surf across the waters with pokemon's help. If I wasn't so sure that this is the world of pokemon that I had landed up in and not the world of Fairy Tail, I might have thought that I am a Dragon Slayer with how bad I am with transportation.
Snap made a rumbling sound as he soared happily beside Drake's own flygon above the ship. Toothless had decided to return to his pokeball after deeming that he had enough flying exercises for today.
"Nice flygon yer have there." Drake complimented as he looked up to the sky with a hand over his eyes to block out the blinding sunlight. The aged captain leaned against the railings on the deck of the ship before speaking (or more like shouting with how booming his voice is) to me below on the ocean surface, purposely using his sailor slang to mess with me since he knows I have a harder time trying to pick out what he is trying to say whenever he uses the slang.
"How yer find it? Buy the fella from somewhere or got it with yer family's connection?"
"Found him in the desert along Route 111. Snap was a trapinch when we found each other." I replied as I watched the only dragon on my team enjoying his flight. "He was my strongest battler until Toothless and Kratos reached their final evolutions."
"I see. I'm not sure if I should call you foolish for going to the desert alone or to praise your bravery." Drake stroked his moustache with an impressed look on his face, his voice going back to normal. "Not many trainers like to go to the desert because of the danger it holds. There's almost nothing to see there. Even I got my flygon from someone else through trading, although that was a long time ago."
"The ruins I found there made the trip worth it. I even took some pictures." I supplied helpfully. "I can show them to you later."
"When we have the time. Come on up, Vel. The sea will be a lot rougher around these parts. It is safer to be on the ship."
Knowing that it is better to heed the advice of a veteran sailor, I whistled for Snap to come down to pick me up. Rena levitated herself onto the ship with her psychic powers while Fuzzy achieved the same effect with Magnet Rise. Chill sang out a happy cry before I returned her back to her pokeball. I could have continued to let her surf beside the ship, but I don't want to risk my airheaded Chill to somehow get herself lost on the vast sea. A storm might also be coming for us anytime today from what I was told earlier this morning. It really depends on which direction the winds might blow the storm clouds to.
Snap put me down gently on the deck of the ship as Lily waddled over to us from her previous position. She was at a corner of the deck bathing in the sunlight. Drake's own flygon landed behind his trainer and I could feel the obvious difference in power between him and Snap. The very presence of Drake's flygon exuded a form of pressure that only the truly powerful gave off. It is an aura that commands obedience from those around it.
Drake walked up to Snap and to my surprise, gave him a slight bow. What surprised me further was that Snap actually reciprocated the action with a dip of his own head seconds later. I went speechless when Snap actually allowed Drake to scratch him at the bottom of his jaw right after. It is his favourite spot to scratch at and he will sometimes ask for me to help him scratch it since his arms are a little too short to do so. However, he had never let anyone other than me touch that area before. That area exposes his neck and most pokemon will not willingly expose such a vulnerable area to any other trainer or pokemon that they barely know.
How did Drake manage to get Snap to open up to him so easily? Is this the ability of a Dragon Master?
"Don't look so surprised. I grew up with dragons since I was a kid, I know how to handle one when I see one. It helps that your flygon is no stranger to human contact."
"Is there a reason why you bowed to Snap?" I asked curiously. "Was that why he allowed you to scratch the bottom of his jaw?"
"Partly." Drake admitted as he fished out some treats from his pockets and popped them into Snap's opened mouth. "But I guess I pretty much smell like a dragon to him since I had been dealing with them my entire life. It helps to build up some sense of trust. You don't know much about dragons, do ya?"
"There isn't much information about dragons other than the fact that you need to earn their respect to be able to command them." I said as I felt my eyes narrowing a little in thought. Not many trainers choose to become a Dragon Specialist due to how hard and dangerous it is to be one. Another factor is also because any in-depth knowledge about dragons is hard to come by. People with such knowledge are usually those who hailed from long-standing families or clans whose people have been living with dragons for centuries and they guard their knowledge about dragon types with great zeal. Lance and Clair from Johto are such individuals.
"Well, that's about as much as you need to know about dragons if we are simply talking about dragons in general." Drake carried on with his impromptu lesson while Lily formed a makeshift shelter by closing her tentacles up together and lifting it over our heads to give us some shade. "At the very basic level, there are two things you need to have before you command a dragon: power and respect."
"Power and respect?"
"Power comes in many forms, but most dragons view power and strength as the same thing. When they assess us trainers, the abilities of the trainer are what they view as our strength. Be it the ability to command them in battle, or the ability to train them to reach new heights and help them to evolve, or maybe something else that they view as worthy enough to be considered as your strength. You need something in you, a quality that the dragon thinks that makes you special and better over other trainers. That something is your strength that they value. The value they place on your strength determines how worthy you are to be able to command them."
"I did help Snap to evolve into a flygon, so I guess that helped?"
"Perhaps. You won't know for sure unless you are able to somehow talk to him." Drake shrugged. "Now, moving on to respect."
Drake cleared his throat a little before continuing.
"Respect is a little more different and delicate. There are many ways to earn a dragon's respect, although that usually comes hand in hand with power. If you are strong enough in terms of power, most dragons will at least have some semblance of respect for you like in the case of me and Snap. Of course, you can also earn it through other means. Maybe you raised it up since it was a baby, maybe you had saved its life once, maybe you had done something for the dragon which it could not have done by itself. That is also several ways to earn a dragon's respect. For dragons, respect is something to be earned from them. It can be hard to earn it but once you do, it takes a lot to lose that respect as well. You will need to mess up very badly for them to lose that respect for you."
I nodded as I listened intently. Drake is not just Hoenn's previous Champion. He is also a Dragon Master and Dad's superior in ACE back when Dad was still in ACE. Any knowledge he chooses to share with me is valuable. Deep knowledge about dragon types is rare to come across and I am learning them directly from a Dragon Master.
"Now, if you ever see a dragon that you happen to come across, be it under the care of another trainer or a wild one, the first thing you should do is to show it some respect. There is a good reason why dragons are so feared. Their growth rate is a little slow, but they have very little weaknesses and they can grow to be absurdly strong. They have a right to be prideful since most of the time they are the apex predator in their natural habitat. When you encounter a dragon in the wild, giving it a slight bow or the space it needs is enough to get you out of trouble so long as you don't do anything to provoke it."
I gave a nod to show that I am following.
"Once they deem you worthy to be in their presence, they may choose to reciprocate the action as well. See how your Snap bowed back to me just now? Some of these behaviours that you can see in dragons can also be observed from pokemon that are not dragons but have certain draconic characteristics. Your charizard and tyranitar, for example. At the critical moment you earned a dragon's respect, they will sometimes show it by giving you a bow. That does not happen very often since not all dragons chose to show their respect to you in the same way."
"Oh." I said in realisation as the memories of what happened after Kratos's battle with feraligatr played out in my mind. It was the first trainer battle we had together which cemented Kratos's respect for me. It was when I had given Kratos his name. Kratos had lowered his head and bowed to me once.
"Experienced something like that before?"
"My tyranitar bowed to me once when he was just a larvitar. Now I know why he did that."
"Explains why that little monster of yours is so protective of you when Sidney was being rude. Insulting a dragon's trainer is the same as insulting them. Your tyranitar is no dragon, but certain things that work for dragons apply to them as well. Scientists had always theorised that the tyranitar species has a dragon for an ancestor anyway, probably a tyrantrum. There are some similarities in their DNA from what I know. It will explain the rock typing. In fact, many believed the extinct tyrantrum species is the ancestor to many of the dragon types that we know today along with some pokemon with draconic characteristics."
Come to think of it, even the charizard species was suspected to have descended from the tyrantrum line one way or another. Just how does pokemon evolution work? On one hand, pokemon can evolve over centuries to become an entire new species on its own. On another, evolution is another word to use for the spontaneous growth a pokemon undergoes when it reaches a certain level of strength.
Just what is evolution?
"I know meeting a dragon in the wild is a rare occurrence, but if you do, never enter a dragon's personal space without permission. Most dragons will view that as a challenge to their power. For wild dragons, they view it as you are challenging them for their territory. This is why the League blocked off any public access to Meteor Falls every time the breeding season for the wild salamence population comes along. Most idiots have no concept of personal space and salamence gets especially protective of their territory and kin during their breeding season."
Like the three idiots that indirectly caused the deaths of Dad's old team. His ACE partner too, from what I know about that incident.
"Is it… normal for a dragon to be very close to anyone that is not their trainer?" I inquired curiously as a certain black three-headed dragon who loves to cuddle comes to mind. "Like Dad's Chewy?"
"Uh… your father's hydreigon is certainly an oddball." Drake frowned in thought. "Never seen one like that before. Cuddles is certainly not a word found in a dragon's dictionary."
Drake's flygon stamped his foot on the floor twice to get Drake's attention before shifting his gaze to Snap.
"Aha, my boy here wants to have a battle with your Snap." Drake said with a mad glint in his eyes that produces a chill running through my bones even in this hot weather. "Well, I say battle, but it should be more of a little training session. Your flygon is not the best battler I had seen for his species but at least you had raised it somewhat right. What you lack is the knowledge on how to train a dragon properly since the methods to train a dragon differs from species to species. You cannot train a flygon with how you train a salamence like what you had been obviously doing. I assume your brother's the culprit for this since he has a salamence, and I can safely tell you that he is giving you the wrong advice. With the way you are training your flygon, it will only get him so far."
I can now see why Drake was conferred the title of Dragon Master by the PWL. I wasn't expecting him to be able to immediately identify how I had trained Snap with just a glance. Vance had been the one who was providing me advice on how to train a dragon type ever since I had Snap since he has a dragon on his team in the form of salamence. He is the one that I had always gone to for advice when I first started out as a pokemon trainer.
"Well, what yer waiting for?! Get yer flygon in the air! Yer flygon's bad habits needs to be corrected before it's too late! Training a flygon with a salamence's training method is total blasphemy! Unacceptable! I tell ya!" Drake barked out as his sailor slang returned and Snap immediately shot up into the sky with Drake's flygon. I have a feeling that Drake is just bored out of his mind and wants to do something to entertain himself since it can be very boring on the sea. Still, I won't say no to such a rare opportunity to learn from a Dragon Master, even if it is just learning the most basic of knowledge on how to train a flygon.
I just hope Snap will be able to survive whatever Drake is planning to put Snap through.
"One minute and ten seconds." I huffed out when I looked at the xtransceiver on my wrist as I tried to catch my breath. Bigblue reverted back to his normal form and Kratos stood beside me while casting worried looks. I waved it off since other than feeling a little breathless, I am otherwise fine.
One minute and ten seconds, that is the maximum amount of time that I can help Bigblue or Kratos maintain their mega evolved form. It is a slight improvement, but it is still not enough. I need to be physically able to help sustain their new temporary form if we want Mega Evolution to be our trump card. We need to be able harness the power properly for it to be of any use to us.
Even till now, no one has a clue on how Mega Evolution really works. Dad had told me that the widely supported theory provided by Professor Sycamore suggested that the pokemon and trainer in question must have a strong bond between each other for Mega Evolution to be invoked. Both pokemon and trainer must have unwavering trust in each other.
I trust my pokemon and I know that they trust me as well. That means that something else is missing from the puzzle.
From what Dad had told me, no one had managed to Mega Evolve more than one pokemon at any given time. To Mega Evolve a second pokemon you need to first deactivate the Mega Evolution of the first one. As usual, no one knew the reason behind it but no one, even the Champions, had managed to Mega Evolve more than one pokemon at the same time. I am also unable to help Bigblue or Kratos Mega Evolve simultaneously. If I want to use Mega Evolution, I will have to choose who I want to Mega Evolve. It's always one trainer, one pokemon at a time. That's the law of Mega Evolution. It's a mystery that no one has managed to solve yet.
The other mystery behind Mega Evolution is why pokemon needed humans to help them achieve Mega Evolution in the first place. What is so special about us humans that pokemon need our help to achieve their 'final' form? No one knew, not even Dad. So, I asked Roxanne, whose family of scholars ought to have a clue about Mega Evolution.
Roxanne had told me that even her clan did not have much progress in this field of research as well, but from what she knew, there was a joint research on this subject conducted by Professor Sycamore and Professor Rowan. They came up with a theory. The theory is that humans have a unique 'energy' within them, for the lack of a better word, that pokemon lack. That 'energy' is crucial to pokemon that can undergo Mega Evolution. The energy is usually dormant within us humans but can be accessed with the help of a Key Stone, another mysterious item that researchers and scientists have not yet been able to duplicate but can sometimes be found if you dug into the earth deep enough. The 'energy' within humans has been theorised to be our own lifeforce. If that theory holds true, then every single time we are invoking Mega Evolution, we are sharing our own lifeforce with our pokemon, using it as the catalyst to help them invoke Mega Evolution.
Assuming that the theory holds some merit, my own spin on things is that my own 'energy', or lifeforce as the scientists call it, is depressingly low even by normal standards, which explains why I am unable to help sustain my pokemon's Mega Evolution for long. The logical part of my mind attributes it to my sickly body. A crazier part of my mind told me that my status as a reincarnated soul is a reason for it as well. Someone who had died once ought to have a lower lifeforce than an average person, right? I mean, I died. My lifeforce should have vanished until I somehow found myself here in this world.
I don't know how true my assumption is, but it will explain a whole lot of things. The whole 'energy' and lifeforce thing is so intangible and abstract that no one has a clue on what it is about anyway. Or maybe it is the 'aura' thing that the anime was so hyped about? I don't remember what aura is exactly other than it being a form of energy since I never followed the pokemon anime closely. Is the anime world even a thing here?
Thinking about it just makes my head hurt.
Still, I have to find out. If I am going around trying to fix things, I need to check which universe I am in exactly to be able to even do a proper job.
I check my surroundings again to make sure that I am alone. The ship that I am on has temporarily docked on an island which Drake told me serves as a pitstop for ships travelling between regions. It is where ships going on long journeys can refuel and restock their supplies and the crew can get off the ship and enjoy the sensation of being able to walk on dry land again for a short while. We have one day here on this island until the ship sails off tomorrow morning. I had chosen to seclude myself in a quiet clearing to conduct some training for me, Kratos, and Bigblue in learning how to use Mega Evolution while the rest of my team helps to keep a lookout. I don't want to be the one who leaks the existence of Mega Evolution to the public by accident.
The other thing that had been bugging me ever since I found myself involved with the world's politics is which pokemon world exactly did I wind up in. If there's anyone in the pokemon verse that I know who has a splendid track record in saving the world many times, it would be Ash Ketchum, assuming this is his world.
Although judging by how different this world is from the one I knew from the anime, I doubt this is the world where Ash Ketchum even exists. Still, I need to know for sure. If this is Ash's world, then the plan to save the world might need to change a little to factor him in.
"Jarvis, see if you can find any records of Ash or Delia Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto."
The screen of my xtransceiver blinked as Jarvis obeyed my order without question. I can see Bigblue and Kratos giving me curious looks at the sudden interest in a supposed stranger.
Come to think about it, should I tell my pokemon about my past? Will it be a good idea? I was apprehensive to the idea initially when I first became a trainer but Rena had been surprisingly okay with it when she found out. In fact, she looks totally unbothered by the fact that I had died once. After the events that me and my team had been through together, I like to think that we are close enough to be able to keep such secrets among ourselves, but I won't know for sure. I don't speak pokemonese.
I know I can trust them, but I just have this irrational fear. Will their view of me change once they learn about my past? A past that I will never want to share even with my family? I don't want my family to find out that the daughter and sister that they had been doting on for the past thirteen years was actually once an adult. I don't want to dwell on the possibility that I might be a body snatcher, someone who stole the body from the one who is supposed to be the real Velda Vera.
This is a really bad time to have an identity and existential crisis.
I sat down on the ground as I waited for Jarvis to come back with the results. Using May's age as a gauge, Ash should have been born by now if he exists in this world.
The thing that I am more worried about is the inner debate in my head, whether I should confide to the rest of my team about my reincarnated status. Keeping the secret to only myself and Rena had worked well so far but I feel bad for leaving the rest of them out of the loop. Especially Flamel and Bigblue, who had been with me the longest.
Rena nuzzled against me, bringing me out of my thoughts. The rest of my team are either in their pokeballs or hiding in the shade provided by the huge trees that littered this island.
'I sense that your emotions are flickering quite uncontrollably, Mistress. Are you okay?'
Trust Rena to be able to pick up on my emotions. She is too good at sensing them.
'Just deciding if I should tell the rest of the team about my reincarnated status.' I admitted to her. 'I don't know if I should tell them because I have no idea what their reactions might be. I don't want them to view me differently.'
'All of us love you too much to be capable of that. You are special to us, Mistress.' Rena spoke telepathically to me in a comforting tone as she squirmed her way into my lap to rest there. I gently stroked her fur as we continued our conversation. 'Maybe other humans might react in the way that you had feared should you tell them of your secret, but I can assure you that none of us here will. You of all people should know how differently humans and pokemon view things.'
'True, but I still cannot help but be a little scared. I know it is an unfounded irrational fear, but I cannot help but to feel this way. I feel bad keeping this a secret from my loved ones. I know I can trust you guys, but…'
'Whether you choose to reveal your secret is entirely your choice, Mistress, but know that we will never betray the trust you have in us, no matter what it may be. There's no need to feel pressured in revealing your secret. You also always have the option to keep it to yourself. If you choose to confide in us, then I can assure you that even the least intellectual of us will stand by you every step of the way.'
Kratos gave a snort beside me as he narrowed his eyes, as if somehow picking up that Rena had made a jab at him even when he is not privy to our telepathic conversation. Maybe the way that Rena was looking at him as she made the verbal jab gave it away.
Fuzzy suddenly landed in front of me as he waved a coconut around comically. I don't know what he wants, but for some reason seeing him doing that makes me want to laugh. Kel made her appearance as her red eyes glowed from where she was hiding from the sun, prowling within the shadows of the foliage, lingering just long enough for me to know that she was nearby before disappearing into the cover of the shadows once more. Archer is right behind me acting like my bodyguard as per usual. Bigblue is lying on the ground as he snoozed in the sun with Flamel beside him. The rest of my team are in their pokeballs since not everyone appreciates the heat or has no wish to be outside right now.
This is my team of pokemon. The team of magical monsters that are always overprotective of me, loyal to a fault.
I can trust them.
'Thank you, Rena. I think I know what to do now.'
'We are always with you, Mistress. Always.'
I reached for the pokeballs that housed the rest of my team and let them out. My action got everyone's attention immediately, they know that something is up.
I'm not sure if I will ever tell my family, but considering the kind of things we will be involved in in the near future, I know that it's time to confide in my pokemon my secret.
I can trust them.
46
Here we are.
I got down from the ship with Rena and Archer beside me. Dolly and Wacky are residing in my shadows alongside the other ghosts and I can feel their curiosity towards this place that we found ourselves in.
Johto's Olivine City, the gateway of Johto towards the outside world.
"A lot sunnier than Hoenn, isn't it?" I looked up to see Steven smiling down at me, his claydol hovering beside him. I can hear Drake's loud voice bellowing in the background as he directed his crew to properly dock the ship.
"Are we good to go?" Drake said as he walked up to us, leaving his crew to properly dock the ship in his absence. "We have a schedule to catch and from what I just found out, we are the last to reach. People have already been waiting for us since days ago."
The four of us walked into a large building that the representatives from various regions are supposed to report to the moment they disembarked at the port. I saw the PWL's symbol at the front of the building the moment we reached it. The symbol of the PWL is simple. It simply has a pokeball as the background with the acronym of its name written over it in white. Simple and to the point.
We checked in with the receptionist at the counter, who gave us security passes when we registered ourselves with our pokedex. We also have to register the pokemon that we are bringing into the building. Steven led us in and we rode the elevator all the way to the ninth floor of the building.
The doors of the lift opened and Steven led us through a long corridor before finally arriving in front of a set of doors. The label on the doors read 'Meeting Room 1'.
This is it. The birth of the International Police, an international organisation that I had helped create. I would be lying if I say that I'm not feeling nervous today.
'You will be fine, Mistress.'
Rena's encouragement lifted my mood a little. She has always been very supportive of me, and I'm glad that I took her advice when we made that pitstop on that island the other day.
Like Rena had said, my pokemon were totally unbothered about my reincarnated status. Dolly pulled me into a hug and chattered non-stop when I admitted the truth and apologised for not telling them sooner. Flamel and Bigblue simply nudged me gently to show their support. Kratos had the cheek to simply yawn and then proceed to nap under the warmth of the sun, giving me a look that screams 'Did you seriously gather all of us to tell us something that unimportant?' The cheek of him.
At that moment, my emotions were a mixture of happiness and relief. I'm glad that they are my pokemon. I'm glad that I had earned their trust and loyalty. I don't need to hold onto my secrets to myself any longer.
It's really a heavy load off my chest.
"Don't feel too overwhelmed from all the big shots that you will see in the room. Honestly, they are as ordinary as you and I, take it from your Regional Champion."
"Geez, thanks for the pep talk, Steven."
The heir of the Stone family simply gave me an amused smile before he pushed open the doors to the meeting room. It is well-furnished. The floors are carpeted and the tables and chairs are made from the finest wood. Antiques and paintings lined the walls. The portraits of previous Champions and Presidents of Indigo hang at the back of the room, as if overseeing the meeting room itself.
We are not the only ones there.
"Steven, it's nice to meet you and your delegation."
A bespectacled man with purple hair and dressed in a red formal suit went up to us and shook our hands in turn, also greeting Drake and I when he shook hands with us. I recognised him straightaway. He is Lucian from the Sinnoh's Elite Four.
"Lucian." Steven greeted politely as the two trainers met. "It's nice to see you."
"Likewise. I wish we can all meet under better circumstances, but that's what we are here for, to defend the world and make it a better place." Lucian said before turning to me. "And who might you be, young lady? You must be exceptionally skilled to be allowed entrance into this particular meeting."
"My name is Velda Vera. It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Lucian."
Lucian's eyes widened a little in recognition, but returned a smile nevertheless.
"I had heard many things about you, Ms Vera. I look forward to working with you."
"Thank you. And please call me Vel."
"In that case, I insist that you address me by my name as well. None of us here are a stickler for formality and rules, I think we would get along quite well."
Lucian led us to a corner where two more people were at. I recognised them too.
"Steven, Drake, Vel, meet my fellow member of Sinnoh's Elite Four, and also the man who would be in charge of the interpol."
I could never forget who these two people are. Even if they are not Gym Leaders, each of them either have the strength of one or possess a unique skill set that sets them apart from your average Joe.
The Sinnoh League had also sent in Flint together with Lucian to represent Sinnoh in this meeting. There is also Looker, who I vaguely recognised with whatever foreknowledge that I still retain. In this world, he is simply an agent working for the PWL. From what Wallace had told me, the PWL had tasked him to be the director of the interpol. Meaning to say, he will be the superior that I will be working under.
Another round of introduction was done. Flint is a talkative and cheery man that had immediately hit it off with Drake with how similar they are in personality. Steven continues his conversation with Lucian, so that leaves me with Looker.
"Velda Vera, I assume?" Looker and I shook hands as we took a seat nearby. "My codename is Looker, I'm afraid I cannot tell you my real name due to my line of work. I had heard many good things about you. Word has it that if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have this meeting today."
"Words of my exploits had been greatly exaggerated." I replied with a smile. "Wallace told me before I came here that the PWL is appointing you as the Director of the International Police. Please take care of me."
Looker must have some mad skills for him to be considered by the PWL to be the Director of the newly founded International Police. I am an exception since I was the one who came up with the idea of forming the International Police to help put a stop to this prophecy.
Looker gave a short good-natured laugh before continuing our conversation.
"I'm afraid that currently, both of us are the only official members of the International Police. I plan to put together a team of powerful individuals to assist the PWL to help avert the prophecy. A team that can handle anything and everything. I already have a list of candidates, shall we go through the list together later?"
"I… can decide who we should recruit into the International Police?" I asked, feeling a little baffled. I am but a regular thirteen year old girl. Compared to somebody like Looker who is so respected even within the PWL, I don't have much experience in this line of work.
"You are a member of the International Police too. Your input is also equally important." Looker stressed. "I do have my own list of potential candidates but I also want to know if you knew anyone who would be a great fit to what we are going to do in the future."
Our conversation was interrupted when another group of people entered the room. To be specific, two different groups entered the room together.
The delegations from Unova and Kalos.
Unova is being led by Grimsley of Unova's Elite Four. A lady with short yellow hair walked behind him with an aloof yet confident expression. There's no mistaking who she is. She is also a renowned supermodel in the pokemon world and the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City, Elesa.
Meanwhile, the Kalos delegation walked beside Unova's. Leading the team is Siebold of the Kalos Elite Four, also the strongest Water Specialist in their region. The other member of their delegation is Valerie, Gym Leader of Laverre City.
"I see that all the delegations are here other than the ones from Indigo and Alola." Siebold mentioned coolly as everyone in the room began to size each other up. "It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Siebold, the leader of the Kalos delegation."
"Name's Grimsley, leader of the Unova delegation." The pale looking man said as his eyes scanned the room. "Honestly, I thought there will be more of us here with how severe the problem is."
"This meeting is a meeting to decide the direction in which the International Police will be taking. There will be more of us when we need the required firepower to take down the menace plaguing the world." Lucian said amicably. "Hopefully, it will be enough to maintain the hard-earned peace."
"Don't we know it all." Grimsley muttered before taking a seat, letting out a sigh as he did so. "If it wasn't for the fact that the psychics had been so accurate in what they do, I wouldn't even want to be here."
"Well, no one's keeping you here, Grimsley." Siebold said in mild irritation.
"Am I the only one who finds this ridiculous? Are you telling me that if a psychic walked up to you and told you that you will die in a week, you will believe it?"
"This is the PWL's psychics that we are talking about. They are good in what they do."
"And I'm saying that even psychics can be deceived, they don't see everything." Grimsley replied to an annoyed Siebold.
"And you do?"
"No, but I at least show some form of scepticism, unlike you who believed in those tauros crap immediately."
Siebold's eyes narrowed.
"Are you trying to pick a fight, Grimsley?"
"Now, let's all take a step back and relax, okay?" Lucian stepped in to try and defuse the escalating tension, hands raised up in an attempt to placate the two irritated Elite Four members.
"Oh, a Psychic Specialist. You might just be what I need to convince that thick-headed moron. Why don't you help explain more about psychics to us ignorant fools? Can a psychic see all possible outcomes?"
"No. No psychic can, as far as I know of." Lucian admitted, still keeping that polite tone of his despite how he was addressed by Grimsley. "Even for Seer types, they can only see a certain number of futures with their powers. The stronger the psychic, the greater the number of futures they can see, but no psychic can claim to be able to see everything."
"Thank you." Grimsley said exaggeratedly before turning back to Siebold. "See? Told you that psychics don't see everything."
"You know, you can at least show Lucian some respect." Flint interrupted from where he is. "He was being polite to you."
"If we have to resort to relying on children." Grimsley pointed a finger at me, dragging me into the quarrel without my consent. "Then something is seriously wrong with how the PWL is working. She is too young. Great. Now we have to babysit kids who are thrown in a situation too large for them to handle. This is not like the games or battles that children like her are used to. We are fighting terrorists. There is no honour, you fight dirty if you have to. Do you seriously expect a child like her to do something that even we adults struggle to do?"
"Vel may be young, but she is by no means weak if that is what you are insinuating, Grimsley." Steven came to my rescue as he spoke up. "She is also a valuable member to the team."
"Ah, Wallace's favourite, I see. Nice to meet you. What words of wisdom are you going to impart this time?"
"We come together to try and prevent the world from ending, it would not do well if we have any form of in-fighting. I understand if you have doubts about this arrangement, but this is currently the best shot that we have to avert the incoming crisis."
"Hah!" Grimsley scoffed out loud before pointing a crooked finger at Steven. "How noble! Don't act like you cared about the world because in the first place, none of us do! Do you even know what the uprising of Team Aqua and Team Magma spelled for Unova when the Lilycove Invasion happened? It encouraged Team Plasma to launch their own siege as well! Did you know how many died? A hundred and two. A hundred and two people had died if it wasn't for Team Aqua pulling off that invasion which encouraged Team Plasma to do the same. A siege in Unova that could be avoided if Hoenn had kept a better eye on Team Aqua!"
I had heard of the brief uprising in Unova. The invasion of Lilycove had encouraged several villain teams across the world to try something similar. Not all of them are those that I am familiar with in my previous world, there are some that I had never heard of until recently. Team Plasma was one of the more notable ones, launching a siege on Lacunosa Town in Unova if my memory serves me right. I don't know much of it because I was busy dealing with my own nightmares after the Lilycove Invasion at that point in time. I never checked the details about it too after that.
"And you know what? I know most of the hundred and two people there who died. They were ordinary people going about their lives and have no connection whatsoever to Team Plasma. They were slaughtered without mercy simply because they were there at the wrong place at the wrong time. Lacunosa was my hometown and I was too late to help when I arrived." Grimsley whispered softly, but his voice could be heard as clear as day with how quiet the room is.
"My son was among the hundred and two who died. He died trying to help save the town. A child died because we adults failed to do our jobs properly."
Grimsley words tugged at my heart, and I think the same goes for the rest of us in the room.
"And now what are we doing? Suddenly the prophecy reveals itself and all of a sudden our respective Governments and Leagues get all buddy-buddy with each other?! Don't make me laugh! They are just doing it to save their own skin! And who do they send to go to war against those bastards?!" He pointed back at me before jabbing at Steven with his finger.
"Children, Steven. Not like you are any better since you are barely an adult yourself. We are sending children to fight our war while the adults are up there twiddling their thumbs hiding behind the safety of their desks. There is something wrong with this world if we are sending children to fight our wars, Champion, and you know it. They are too young. They should be out there having the time of their lives winning badges and doing whatever children their age should be doing, not out here doing this dirty work. Which genius thought up of this stupid plan anyway?"
"Me." I spoke up and I can feel everyone's gazes turning to look at me. "I don't think anyone other than the Hoenn delegation knows this, but I was in Lilycove when the invasion happened. I was one of the few survivors."
There were a few gasps at the revelation, but I continued.
"I wasn't really sure what was going on back then. A salamence fired a Draco Meteor at the LSDF building. I tried to stop it but I failed. Team Aqua appeared in droves from practically out of nowhere. Everything was a big mess and suddenly everybody was busy killing each other. I was too inexperienced to be on the frontlines, so an officer put me on support duty to pull out those who cannot fight anymore. There were a few other trainers put on support duty like me, about two or three, I think. I cannot remember clearly since it was a big mess. I don't even know their names because they were killed by a Hyper Beam not long after. I nearly died when Team Aqua sent out a berserk machamp to break the frontlines. It nearly killed me. My charmeleon had to force himself to evolve into a charizard to save me. I would have bled out and died if my pokemon didn't manage to get help in time."
I can feel Drake putting a hand on my shoulder as a show of silent support. I looked up to face Grimsley.
"If anyone can understand what your son was feeling when the invasion in your hometown struck, it would be me. I knew I was weak, that I alone cannot help to defend the city, but I tried anyway. I think the same goes for your son because if we don't do it, who will? I never met your son but I know that he had to be a wonderful person with a big heart. I'm sure that you would have risked your life to save Lacunosa if you were in his shoes, just like what your son did. You think we 'children' shouldn't be here, because we are too young but if we can help, no matter how small, then we should help. Nowhere is safe. There's no way you can keep us safe by hiding us because the threat is everywhere."
"Look, if you think telling me your sob story is going to-"
"I was there at the Battle Frontier when the second invasion happened too." I snapped back. "If anyone knows how being in a war feels like, I do. It is precisely because of my experiences that I am now fighting to prevent another war from happening again. War is horrible, we know that. What we also know is that it will be catastrophic if another war breaks out, especially one on a global scale. Need I remind you that there is a possibility that the legendaries may get themselves involved as well? I am not going to let another soul experience a war again, not if I can help it. That's why I'm here. That's why I proposed this idea in a desperate attempt to stall our Governments and Leagues to dissuade them from the idea of warring against each other. Your son died trying to protect what he believes in and yet here you are spitting on his ideals."
Grimsley looked furious with how his fists are clenched and his eyes dangerously sharp. His bisharp stood loyally by him and I think it is starting to think of me as a threat to its trainer. Archer picked up on the hostility, buzzing his wings and stood protectively in front of me just as Rena did. Dolly and Wacky made their appearances known as my shadows swirled.
"Guys, stand down. He's not going to attack."
My pokemon shot me worried looks, but a look from me made them stand down reluctantly. I know Grimsley is emotionally compromised from what he let known to us, but I continued. If we want to make this work, we need to be a team, not just a mishmash of talented trainers randomly put together like a bowl of crudely made salad.
"Every one of us are handpicked for a reason. We are supposed to be the best in what we can do. This is a gathering of the various Thirteen Pillars of every region and other bright minds we can offer, and this is what we amount to? Petty squabbling? If this is all we are capable of then it doesn't matter what plans we come up with, because none of it will work if we cannot put aside our differences to solve the global threat banging on our doors."
I can see some of them looking away. They know my words had some truth in it.
"That is quite enough, Vel."
A swirl of shadows engulfed a corner of the room before four people made their entrance with Shadow Sneak. Agatha of Kanto hobbled to us with that typical 'click-click' sound of her wooden cane. A woman walked beside her, and I recognise her to be Lorelei, a former member of Indigo's Elite Four just like Agatha. A harried looking young man caught up to them. He is Bill, the inventor of the modern Pokemon Storage System. The last man is a dark-skinned man who shares a striking resemblance to Professor Samuel Oak. However, the tribal looking chain he wore around his neck made it obvious that he is from Alola.
"Grimsley."
"Agatha." Grimsley greeted somewhat respectably. This is Agatha, one of the most revered trainers in the world. Even the various Regional Champions have to show her some respect in her presence. "I didn't expect you to be here."
"Neither do I. My condolences to your loss. Your son is a great man."
"What use is it if he is dead?" Grimsley spat bitterly. "If only-"
"That's why we are here to put a stop to this, to start to make a change." Agatha pressed on as her gengar emerged from the shadows and pulled a chair over for her to sit. "Do you want another parent to experience the loss of their children? Because of the actions of criminal groups in our respective regions?"
"...No." Grimsley replied softly, fists clenched.
"Then all the more reason why we should get our act together to prevent the world from coming to a foretold end. You were chosen to be here for a reason, the same as the rest of us here. We need your strength. We need you to help us in our cause to rid this world of the cancer plaguing it. Can you do it? If not for us, then for your son. Can you do it?"
"…Yes." Grimsley gritted through his teeth, his head held down and his body shaking slightly. His fists are still clenched.
Agatha then turned towards the rest of the delegations that were sent here.
"What about you guys? Can you pansies do it?"
"Yes." Was the collective murmur heard in the room.
"I'm afraid you people have to speak louder. I am getting on in my years and my hearing isn't as good as before."
A louder "Yes" reverberated across the room.
"Good." Agatha said as she gave a little stretch, making a pop resounding across the room. "Ah, it seems that this bag of old bones isn't working as well as before. Let's not waste time, shall we get on with today's agenda?"
Nobody dared to say anything else after Agatha had spoken. The only thing we could do was to take our seats as the very first meeting to help save the world started.
This is the first step to help save the world.
Despite the shaky first impression when Grimsley started mouthing off, the meeting went surprisingly well. Concerns were mentioned, plans were made, and work was delegated.
The meeting was efficient. Everyone was given a fair chance to take turns and voice their opinions while the rest listened. Within a few hours, we had sorted out the most pressing issues and decided the order of priority of these problems which we were to solve. There are many types of problems plaguing our regions. There are problems that cannot be solved by pokemon trainers or professions related to pokemon, but that is not the agenda for the International Police or the PWL. What we are focusing on are the problems that can be solved by us, problems relating to pokemon.
There are a few things that everyone agreed on. For one, it would not be wise for the International Police to be solely made up of capable trainers whose expertise are in pokemon battling. The issues that the International Police will be solving ranges from resolving pokemon migratory patterns to busting terrorist organisations. We need to be more than just good at battling. We need to be capable of handling anything and everything related to pokemon. As long as it is pokemon related, we need to be able to solve it.
We need people from various fields. We need a team made up of individuals that possess unique and invaluable skill sets, abilities that nobody else possesses.
The leader of every region's delegation had handed Looker a list of potential candidates from their region for Looker and me to look over. However, there is one person that Looker is particularly interested and adamant on trying to include into the International Police and there happened to be people in the meeting who know him very well.
That person is Volkner Tide, the previous and 42nd Gym Leader of Sunyshore.
Volkner is a world-renowned trainer that is widely recognised for his capabilities as a trainer. He was the strongest Electric Specialist of Sinnoh until he resigned from his Gym Leader position. The reason for his resignation was undisclosed to the public, but Flint and Lucian explained that it is because Volkner was about to get married at that point in time and decided to quit his hectic job. Another reason was that his wife is a Johtonian and Volkner had long since decided to move to Johto even before their marriage. Riley took over the position as Gym Leader of Sunyshore after Volkner's departure.
And yes, this is one reason why I am currently determined to find out just what world I am in. In this world, Riley is the Gym Leader of Sunyshore, Volkner was the former Gym Leader of Sunyshore. I don't know and don't remember enough about the Gen 4 games regarding things about Gym Leaders retiring from their positions, so it may be needless worry on my part.
Nevertheless, things are different here and I need to know why.
It is not just because Volkner is such a powerful trainer to the extent that even Cynthia would be wary of facing him in battle that Looker wanted to add him into the International Police. Volkner's list of achievements is so long that it cannot be properly summarised. His contributions to Sunyshore City and to Sinnoh are undeniably significant. He is definitely special enough to warrant such attention Looker is giving him.
To keep things simple, not only is he an extremely powerful and skilled trainer, Volkner is an expert when it comes to busting criminal organisations. His skills are something that we really need right now.
Before Volkner became the Gym Leader of Sunyshore, the city was a mess and that was an understatement. Due to the way the city was originally built and the geographical makeup of the city, crimes were rampant because it is too difficult for the police to travel to and fro the city to apprehend criminals before they can make their getaway. In just a few years after Volkner took up the position as Sunyshore's Gym Leader, he single handedly drove down the crime rates to the extent that it resulted in Sunyshore's GDP to triple. He helped design and built solar panel bridges that connected the entire city, making it easier for its inhabitants to travel around and meeting the city's energy needs at the same time.
Not only that, he was the one who played a major role in suppressing Team Galactic. During Team Galactic's debut about three years back, things were extremely serious due to how aggressive Team Galactic was during their uprising. Volkner was the Sinnoh League's response to solve the problem. He crushed them so mercilessly that to this date, the remnants of the organisation are still hiding themselves in Mt Coronet to wait for the right time to rebuild their forces for a second uprising. It is because of him that Sinnoh was, and still is the safest region to live and travel in. Sinnohans adored him for his contributions to Sinnoh. Sunyshore citizens love him more than they love their Champion because of what he did for them.
After knowing all this, it is obvious at a glance that people like Volkner are what the International Police needs. The current Thirteen Pillars of every region are not able to join the International Police because their usual workload already makes them very busy and they cannot leave their cities for extended periods of time. We need people who are close or equal to the Thirteen Pillars in terms of capabilities and worth. Volkner is the perfect candidate to fill our ranks. His firepower, experience, knowledge, leadership capabilities. All of it is invaluable for what the International Police is about to do.
What took me by surprise are Flint and Lucian's warnings when it comes to trying to recruit Volkner into our team.
"Not to be a downer, but I doubt that you guys will succeed in roping him in. Volk absolutely hates getting himself tangled in politics."
"Flint's right. Even back when he was still a Gym Leader of Sunyshore, he had always done things his way without caring about our opinions. The only reason why his presence was tolerated by Cynthia was because he does produce results that none of us can reproduce, and also because President Ashley was adamant on having him among the Thirteen Pillars. He wasn't a Gym Leader by choice, that position was forced upon him. It took him seven years to get out of there. I don't think the two of you would be able to convince him to get involved in something this huge so soon after his retirement."
"You can force somebody to be a Gym Leader?" I asked, feeling very confused.
"We never knew the exact details because Volk didn't share. I knew him since we were little boys and even I don't know about it." Flint sighed. "Anyway, the fact that this meeting is held at Olivine is convenient for us. Volk lives at Olivine and I know exactly where he lives. I will bring you to see him, but it is up to you two to convince him to join us because… well, personal reasons. I really don't want to be the one to get him tangled in politics once more and I honestly prefer if he remains out of it. But I'm warning you, convincing him to help you guys is definitely going to be very difficult."
"The information I have on him also suggests that he is not one who enjoys working with others." Looker mused as he flipped through the documents that detailed Volkner's profile during his time as a member of Sinnoh's Thirteen Pillars. "But we must try, for the sake of protecting this world."
"Since the kind of work you guys will be involved in are not solely limited to crime management, it will be wise for the International Police to recruit experts that may not be trainers, but whose jobs are related to pokemon in some ways." Grimsley spoke up as he pushed forward a stack of papers but tapped his finger on one particular file.
"If you need a Pokemon Researcher, I highly recommend Shannon Juniper, niece of Cedric Juniper. She may be young, but she is already one of the brightest minds our region has to offer for anything related to pokemon. Her specialisation lies in Pokemon Migratory Patterns and Biology but she's so smart that she could probably earn a Master's degree in anything else within a week. Already, she had contributed groundbreaking discoveries on pokemon migratory patterns and evolutionary stones even at her young age. However, I'm not sure if she is keen on joining a group like yours. From what I know, she is also very risk averse. She is also not a trainer, so you cannot rely on her when it comes to battles."
"I know of her. She recently uncovered the secret behind evolution when it comes to evolutionary stones." Steven spoke up excitedly. "I for one am interested in meeting her."
"Now is not the time for you to geek out over stones, Steven." Drake reminded Steven, who laughed it off awkwardly.
"Shannon and I keep in contact from time to time." Grimsley continued, ignoring Steven's tendency to geek over stones. "Coincidentally, she's currently in Johto assisting and learning under Professor Elm. If you want to recruit her to your cause now is a good chance to do so."
"What are the odds that all of our recommended candidates are currently here in Johto on their own volition?" Siebold said as he too, handed Looker several files. "A good friend of mine is a historian on pokemon myths and legends. It is an area that not many choose to specialise in, but considering that each of our region's legendaries might be involved due to the nature of the prophecy, Nova is the best there is in Kalos when it comes to anything you need to find out and uncover about legendary and mythical pokemon. This is not made known to the public and I cannot share too much, but she had helped a lot in uncovering certain secrets of Kalos' legendaries. Also, she is in Johto as well. She's helping out in a collaboration to study the Ruins of Alph, to be exact. I can go give her a visit if the both of you are agreeable on trying to recruit her."
"I never thought that there would be an expert on legendary and mythical pokemon." Looker said as the both of us quickly looked through Shannon Juniper's and Nova Labelle's profiles. "Huh, her works and skills may prove to be crucial if the prophecy really involves legendaries and mythicals. It also helps that she is also an Elite trainer that can hold her own in battles."
"I think having a pokemon researcher is a good idea too." I voiced my opinion. "If Volkner joins us, he alone is already more than enough if we want firepower. What other kinds of experts should we consider?"
"When it comes to dealing with the unknown, information is key. I myself would prefer if we could get someone who is proficient in information gathering." Looker said as he quickly looked through the profiles of the rest of the submitted candidates with me. None of it had the skill set Looker spoke of.
"You mean like a spy?" Agatha asked. "The only way you could find one is if you ask a League to provide you one and even then I don't think anybody would be comfortable with parting with their own spies. They are few in numbers and extremely valuable. Not only are spies hard to train, they are often on long undercover missions and they tend to die young on the field. The Indigo League had tried sending spies to infiltrate Team Rocket. We never succeeded. They always got found out and got themselves killed."
Team Rocket is one major problem the International Police will have to deal with as well. If even professionally trained spies could not infiltrate the organisation, who can?
"I will talk to Lance and see if he can spare you one." Agatha continued her speech. "No promises though."
"I'm afraid my region has nothing much to offer." Samson Oak, the representative from Alola, finally spoke up. "My region is always in disarray due to the Ultra Beasts problem and also from the lack of a real functional regional League. We have no shortages of skilled trainers but they are all preoccupied with trying to defend their islands from constant attacks by the Ultra Beasts. I'll liaise with my League to see if they can offer an alternative to contribute to our cause."
Out of the seven member regions, Alola had always been the most disorganised and poor due to Ultra Beasts rampaging across their lands. It got to the point that they don't even have their own regional Pokemon League Tournament, because travelling within their region is just that dangerous. Nobody had successfully solved the Ultra Beasts problem because from what I now know from this meeting, these creatures cannot be caught by any known pokeball. Not only that, these creatures are insanely strong. Even if you managed to put it down somehow, there's no way to capture it. It will always come back to fight for a second round once it has escaped and recovered its strength. The only thing Alola can do is to beat it back. Alola incurred many casualties every year due to the random sieges Ultra Beasts conducted on their islands and cities.
Hence, none of us are surprised at Samson Oak's words. Out of the many regions, Alola is one of those that desperately needs PWL's help right now.
"What do you say to having an ex-Gym Leader, a Pokemon Researcher, and a historian joining our ranks, Vel?" Looker looked towards me when he asked for my opinion. From the looks of it, he is very satisfied with the candidates that the various region's representatives had recommended to join the International Police.
On my end, I don't see a reason to object to the recommendations. If the various region's representatives had so heavily recommended them to join us, then they must have unique skills that their respective League thinks that we need. They are all experts in their fields, one way or another.
I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the meeting room. It's night, but not overly late yet.
"I think we should try recruiting them. You said that Volkner lives at Olivine, right?" I turned to Flint, who nodded his head in affirmation.
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you think Volkner will mind if we pay him a visit right now?"