Geeta POV

  Placing down my pen, I sat down behind my desk, allowing myself just a moment to relax. The piles of paper on my desk were neatly organized and not urgent. Though there is enough of it that even with my larger desk as Vice Chairwoman of the League, I have less free space now than I did when I was just a regular worker.

  A knock on my door interrupted my peace, and for a moment, I imagined the notion of simply not answering it. That dream was sadly interrupted by a woman’s voice asking, “Vice Chairwoman? I’m from the Joy Clan, here about a matter I’d like the League to investigate.” I’m aware of that; the only question is who- “One of your aides sent me up.” She continued, neatly answering the question I had been thinking of.

  “Come in,” I said calmly, composing myself so I wouldn’t give any outward signs of annoyance. It was a skill I had plenty of practice with this past year as I’d acclimated to my new position… and started aiming higher.

  The door opened up, a thick oak thing leading the Nurse Joy into a rather modest office. She took in the navy blue walls, the dark antique grandfather clock in the corner, and me at my desk. There was little else adorning my space, just a seat on either side of the desk, and the one on her side was an unfortunate concession to the reality that occasionally I would have to entertain someone else in my office. Like now.

  “Please, take a seat.” I gestured in front of me, and the woman did so, straightening out her Nurse tank top uniform. Her hair was a vibrant pink, indicating that she had been born into the clan, if I hadn’t known it already. Her youth, and the fact that she wore the uniform even while off-duty, spoke to a lack of confidence that she felt the need to bolster with her family name.

  She placed down a small folder with some documents beside her, and I resisted the urge to sigh. They won’t be enough to make the case she wants, but it is enough to force me to spend my time on dismissing them. “What’s the issue you seem to be facing?”

  Seeing how she presented herself would give me a better image of her character and how I could best deal with her. The Nurse nodded and began her spiel. “I’ve been trying to contact the League several times about a worrisome case I came across in my work in Alfornada. A young Trainer demonstrated several unusual tendencies in how they treated their Pokemon. Signs of going too far in battles and evasiveness combined with hostility when asked questions about their Pokemon.”

  As she spoke, she passed over some papers, the reports including the scans of Nemona’s team and an incident report she had filled out of this ‘hostility.’. I quickly scanned them over. Very professional, neutral tone, but plenty to read between the lines. Both in what this Nurse is getting at and what she’s obfuscating. Nemona herself isn’t mentioned by name by this, but I’m familiar with her team to tell it’s her.

  “I see. And what do you intend to do with this?”

  My still neutral tone put her on the back foot. Spluttering, she said. “We-well I plan to start an inquiry into the treatment of her Pokemon and how they were acquired.” Acquired? Hmm. Discreetly, I pulled up Nemona’s record on my Rotom Phone under my desk, sending it to my computer.

  “Not a formal infraction on her record or a request to determine the viability of her keeping her Pokemon?” I asked, pulling out the paper with Riolu’s medical information on it.

  “Ah, no. I’d rather not jump to any conclusions. Those injuries are not a good sign, but I wouldn’t want anything so harsh or lasting. Especially since she might not be to blame for some of her bad tendencies.”

  There was a pause where I nodded my head before I spoke up. “Denied,” I spoke simply, gathering up her papers and passing them back to her. “Have a nice da-”

  “What do you mean denied?! Why?” She angrily demanded, and this time I did allow myself to sigh.

  “Because these papers, no matter how many scary implications you wish to sprinkle throughout them, would not qualify for such an investigation, not even close. If Nemona’s Riolu showed up to your Pokemon Center that badly hurt a dozen times in a row, it still wouldn’t be enough.” Admittedly, if that was the case, then she would be balancing on the razor’s edge of acceptable behavior, but still.

  “I- my clan will hear about this, mark my words!” She stood up violently, the chair making a slight scraping sound against the hardwood floor.

  “I imagine they already have, and that they rejected your claim for similar reasons as I have.” Though hardly limited to only those ones.

  Rather than leave, she furrowed her brow, thinking about something I said. The look would have been cute on her had she not been so personally frustrating to me. “How did you know it was Nemona?” She finally asked, suspiciously staring at me.

  In response, I turned around my computer, showing her the (low clearance) records of all Nemona's Pokemon. “No one else in Paldea has a team like hers, and she’s become a rather popular figure of late. It wasn’t hard to figure out.” I had considered trying to mention that I knew her personally and could vouch for her character before immediately dismissing that. She’s got her mind set about this, and after so many rejections, she has probably built up a slight mistrust of institutions.

  “These are files you should be able to access too, as a Nurse Joy, Amelia,” I said, casually dropping her first name. “You wanted to investigate the origins of her Pokemon, but most of these are quite clearly designated.”

  “Not all of them,” the petulant older teenage girl muttered. Aha, that’s your goal, very interesting.

  “Her Zoroark’s existence is covered under an NDA provided by one of our famed Pokemon Professors. Is that not trustworthy enough for you?” I asked rhetorically. Hypocritically as well because it certainly isn’t enough for me. Friede left the country with barely any notice shortly thereafter, quitting his job and going to bum around in Kanto. And I only found that out because he hadn’t bothered hiding it; he just hadn’t chosen to announce it either. Sada is worse; she’s practically been a Ghost Type since she and Turo split. Sightings of her occur here and there occasionally, but sporadic enough that tracking her is difficult.

  Rather than leave or get angrier, Amelia resorted to desperate pleading. “I know there’s something more going on there; I’m sure of it. Probably her parents and less so Nemona-”

  “If you’re going to behave so recklessly, you should at least make that fact clear. I’m certain that her parents will come down much harder on you if they thought you were after their daughter rather than them.” A cold comfort, truly. A boulder falling on you is almost as likely to squish you flat as a mountain certainly would.

  “You’re all just protecting her because you’re scared of pissing off her parents!” The young woman hissed, her eyes getting redder as she lost more of her composure.

  “I assure you, I am not protecting her because I am worried about the consequences of the Glitterati family. I have rejected your requests - all three times they’ve landed on my desk prior - because they do not have a strong enough basis in reality.” That being said, if they did have strong enough evidence to bear further investigation, I might then be warned off by her parents. No one wants the Paldean economy to collapse because the League pissed off the wrong nine-year-old.

  “I understand your job is one that requires deep personal connections to the Pokemon you look after and I’m sure that must evoke strong feelings. For now I just ask that you wait and watch how her progress goes; as I mentioned, her run has attracted many eyes of the world upon her. I’m sure if she were on the wrong path, someone else would notice.”

  Then, to toss a Growlithe a bone, I added, “Here.” I had my Rotom Phone send her a message.

  “What’s this?”

  “The email address of Professor Friede, the one who found that Zorua you seem so interested in. He’s under the NDA as well, from the Exceed corporation, but perhaps he can at least reassure you that things are fine.”

  That mollified her enough to mulishly nod and trudge out of my office. Finally. I wonder why she was so interested in that Zoroark of Nemona’s? Its coloration and Typing certainly make it a unique specimen, but hardly one so troublesome for a Nurse Joy to spend so much time trying to look into this. I’ll have to do some of my own investigation into the matter.

  Giving the paperwork on my desk one last, regretful look, I shook my head and stood from my chair. With how distracted I am by Nemona, I’ll get nothing done at the moment.

  The internal hallways of the League building were a bit softer than the stark white outside, but were still a very plain beige. This way and that other bureaucrats marched about checking their phones or reading over documents. The League system was designed to be slightly more ‘hands-off’ in governing the land, but there were still plenty of piles of work for all the officials to go through every day.

  Walking down to the lounge room, I saw a bulletin board. Several papers were stuck on it, from internal League memos to offers to take up special training to prepare officials for advancement within the League or to branch out to the Ranger Corp or become Gym Trainers. There were also sillier things, like chess groups or ‘Makuhita Karaoke.’.

  What caught my eye the most, however, was the poster of Raifort we had made up. Some jokester had decided to spice it up by making this copy look old, the paper crinkled and brown. The sketch (framed elegantly by the fancy border drawn around it) made the young woman seem almost glamorous, were it not for the bolded words ‘POACHER’ at the bottom. In cursive, they wrote ‘Wanted Alive Only’ and an outrageous bounty for help in catching her.

  We do offer some Pokedollars for good Samaritans helping us, but hardly that many zeros on our rewards. The fact that it then clearly states to keep her alive clearly indicates she’s far more important than implied by her crimes… I shook my head helplessly as I entered the lounge. The quiet chatter stopped for just a second as the other employees recognized me before starting up again.

  Wonder what they’re saying this time? Honestly, probably nothing about me, but after the ‘sweeping’ changes I had made, cutting out some of the worst excesses of the League, everyone acts scared around me. That or overly congratulatory. I think I hate the latter more than the former. They were the ones who talked to me the most, however, so I used them to hear about what was going on within the League, and they’d had plenty to say to me lately, particularly about the Raifort situation.

  A few colleagues had not so discreetly indicated how doing such a thing would be a great win. ‘A feather in my cap’ or so they say. Ha! I’d just look like the Glitterati’s Haxorus woman if that ‘worked out,’ sent from the League to chop any problems down for those tycoons. I already have enough suspicion of that since I worked alongside their investigator prior to dealing with the judge scandal.

  I didn’t regret that (not the least of which because it made the League less corrupt and helped me climb the ranks), but it did leave me in an awkward spot here. One which was made further pressing by Margret Houndooming me at every opportunity she got (sometimes literally), trying to lead the investigation down certain paths.

  It left her greatly at odds with Oberon, but the Fairy Type Gym Leader was hardly a match for the Dark Type Elite Four even before his latest slump. Not super noticeable this season, but that’s because most of the attention is on Nemona right now, and Alfornada is rather remote anyway. He too had a vested interest in this case and had the gall to try and force me to place ever greater assets on it, playing up the ‘importance’ of the actions of one thief.

  In the end, politics was about compromise. So I left out Raifort’s last name in the wanted bulletins and made a note to law enforcement to avoid lethal measures at all costs while leaving the ‘poaching’ charge of dubious validity. If my sources didn’t say that Oberon was looking into training a replacement, I’d be looking into ways to shuffle the old man out myself.

  The League Lounge room was slightly more colorful than the hallways that led into it. The walls were light gray with portraits of prominent past Champions hung all over them. There were some red leather couches off to the side and a few coffee tables. Beside the kitchenette was a fridge, which I made a Combeeline to, grabbing out my lunch.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Sitting down by myself at one of the tables, I took the first bite of my sandwich and stared out at the portraits. So much power is held by each of these Trainers, the best and brightest of Paldea.

  “Do you think my face would look good there?” A voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face the slightly aggravating man. Miguel sat down across from me, his hair even messier than usual, if that was possible. “Or maybe over there?” He pointed to another spot on the wall.

  “Are you so eager to leave us? We only put those portraits up for former champions after all. Such a shame, you fought so hard to get here-”

  “Aww geez, no need to be rushing me out the door already, Vice Chair; I was just thinking about the future.” He placed his elbows on the table and propped up his chin in his hands as he leaned over. He caught my gaze and smirked. “Besides, it’s not like you aren’t thinking the same. Want to take a shot at my spot?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have time for such an endeavor; I’m busy with my duties.” My light dig at his lackadaisical approach to his own did nothing to deter his cheer. Probably because despite his eccentricities, his eye is keen and fitting for his rank. He's well aware that I would like to be the Top Champion. If I had started Training in earnest a little earlier… But then, 'could-have-beens' didn't help anyone, and I knew that if I had pursued a greater focus on being a Trainer, I'd be much further away from my other goal, to become the Chairwoman of the League.

  “I’m plenty busy; I just finished a bout of training my team. Gotta keep in tip-top shape, you know? I’m sure you do; the practice courts are practically the only place you’re seen other than at work.”

  “Work is usually what we do here, yes,” I drawled, considering his offer as I finished my food. “A short match with you does sound invigorating, though.” He fist-pumped before I continued. “After which you’ll hopefully have the time to start attending to other duties, like protecting the Area Zero investigation team.”

  He pouted, sticking his lip out. “I know, but we already have Hassel and Martha on it-”

  “And they deserve a break,” I interjected. “Plus, you aren’t the only one who needs to train their team up to face Nemona in the near future,” I pointed out, cutting to the heart of the matter.

  “Ah, fair, fair. Ok, I’ll do it. Oh, better actually grab a bite to eat and meet you down there. While we’re on that topic, though… Have you considered passing along that request I sent on her behalf?”

  I frowned, casting my mind back to the stacks of paperwork I needed to get through. “Requesting the Kalosian and Alolan Leagues to let Nemona and a friend have access to a Diancie den? Yes, I can pass it along. The access might be limited in some ways, and the other Leagues definitely won’t let it be unrestricted, but I don’t see an issue with it.”

  As I stood up, I asked him, “Why are you so insistent on it though? Do you really think her plan will work?”

  He gave a winning grin, showing off the charisma that had let him win over much of Paldea, despite his long sojourn from his homeland. “Why not? Crazier things have happened. Figure she’ll learn something either way, and if it does… then our battle will be legendary.”

  Literally, if it works. Nodding, I left, sweeping through the halls. It was easy enough to see his angle there. She’s already shown a willingness to use Mega Evolution in battles with her Lucario. If she had a Mega Diancie to clash against Miguel’s Mega Salamence, win or lose, that would create an impression that would capture the public zeitgeist and change their opinions on it.

  Miguel had an easy confidence and upbeat attitude, which earned him more fans than his predecessor, but his use of Mega Evolution was an issue that divided the public. People have really taken to Terastalization, especially with the Tera Sphere donated to the Masters Eight tournament and Uva getting their Tera Course up and running. The fact that the Tera Orbs can be mass-produced means that it will almost certainly always be more popular than Mega Evolution, but a big battle like that with Nemona might at least make it more acceptable in people’s eyes.

  The question was if Nemona could evolve her Carbink. I had every faith she’d put on a great show regardless, but the Diancie was key to Miguel’s plans. For almost anyone else, I’d be leery of letting them go to a Legendary's den, even chaperoned. The temptation to catch the Legendary would be too high for many a Trainer, but I couldn’t see Nemona trying anything like that; she fought furiously against poachers after all.

  That’s part of the problem, in fact. I mused as I walked to the elevator and went down, heading underground to the battle courts below. She’s a good girl, but hardly perfect. Which shouldn’t be the concern of any little girl, to be ‘perfect,’ but we need that from the next La Primera. Which, sadly, she seems well on her path to being.

  With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into a small hallway leading to the Battle Courts. Opening the heavy blast doors, they revealed the massive underground chamber, carved out just to let the League Officials train and practice with their Pokemon. Multiple battle courts were set up around a large field with tracks and obstacle courses in various corners. All the equipment was state-of-the-art, if not quite as high quality as what the Elite Challenge Room or Champion Field had, well above us.

  There were always some League staffers training here, except during routine maintenance, with even some Rangers who kept odd hours practicing in-between deployments at night. Currently the place was rather lightly occupied, only a dozen or so Trainers scattered about, plenty of space for me to find my own spot. Releasing Espathra on the track, I set her to warm up, my thoughts still swirling about Paldea’s youngest prodigy.

  It was apparent from the start that she was gifted; I just never pictured that she’d rise this quickly. The fact that after the scandal surrounding her first tournament she had never entered another tournament was part of what made this current development so shocking.

  My Psychic Type made good time around the track, kicking up dust as she raced around. “Quick Attack side-to-side as you go!” I called out to her, and she began incorporating the Move into her routine, shunting side to side as she ran in bursts, keeping her forward momentum as she did so.

  I continued like that for a few minutes until a burst of excited whispers announced Miguel’s entrance. It’s funny how even so many of the League staff get caught up in the ‘Elite hype.’. We work with him and other Trainers similar to him every day, but something about that title catches everyone’s mind. I wonder how Nemona will deal with that pressure when she’s in his shoes?

  Those heavy thoughts were pushed aside as the El Primero swaggered up. “Looking good, Vice Chair,” he commented. His gaze was fixed on Espathra as she continued her exercise. Let’s put that to the test then.

  Motioning for her to stop, I said to him, “I hope you’re prepared to give me a challenge. I don’t intend on holding back.”

  "And I would be deeply disappointed if you did." His carefree smile grew a slightly fierce edge in answer, and we moved to one of the free arenas. As we did so, I noticed a few of the other staffers not-so-subtly drifting over, looking to watch our match.

  I wonder what they’re saying? Alas, my ears weren’t keen enough to catch the contents of those whispered conversations.

  Facing Miguel, I announced, “Let’s keep things short. One-on-one.” I deliberately didn’t put any stipulation on Enhancement effects but wasn’t going to use them myself; if I could force him to Terastalize or Mega Evolve, I’d count that as a victory.

  “Alright, let’s go, Aggron!” As his Pokeball spun through the air, my mind raced. Aggron, not great for me to face. Gogoat won’t have the power to break through his defenses and Avalugg and Glimmora are weak to him. Bisharp won’t be able to deal with the Body Press, so that only leaves- got it.

  “Go, Espathra,” I said as Aggron burst free from the ball, the floor shaking slightly as he landed down. A hulking mass of thick plates of metal layered on top of each other with a few jagged spikes jutting out atop his head, the Steel Type cut an impressive figure. The bulky red jacket fitted over his body and covering most of his torso looked almost silly in comparison to his natural defenses, but I knew it provided a huge boon to his greatest weakness.

  My flightless Psychic Bird Pokemon stepped from my side and onto the arena as well, giving her foe an inquisitive look, her neck twisting back and forth to look at him with each vibrant blue eye. She stepped impatiently with her feet, antsy and ready for the battle to begin.

  Miguel raised an eyebrow at my choice but otherwise didn’t say a word, getting the arena to start a countdown. “The match will begin in three, two, one, begin!” The tinny voice announced, and we leapt to action.

  “Feather Dance!/Double-Edge.” We called at the same time, our Pokemon rushing to action. My Pokemon flapped her short wings, releasing a couple bunches of feathers into the air around her while Aggron charged in heedlessly.

  “Carry through,” Miguel added, and the massive Steel Type did just that, charging into and past Espathra. She nimbly stepped to the side, however Aggron stuck out an arm, not quite enough to clothesline her, but the impact still clipped my Pokemon and sent her spinning to the side.

  The feathers drifted down onto Aggron for only a moment before he was out of the way. Even that brief contact had his shoulders sagging, however, some of the strength sapped from his body.

  Let’s weaken him further. “Lumina Crash!” Espathra gathered a bunch of hexagonal panes of Psychic energy in front of her before crashing them into Aggron, who gave a pained cry. The barrier blades cut into cracks in his armor plating, opening the Champion’s Pokemon up for further pain.

  That attack enraged the mighty beast, who raised a claw, and at Miguel’s command, unleashed a hefty Payback. The Dark Type bolts flew into my Pokemon, causing her to cry at the super-effective assault.

  “Quick Attack around, then Feather Dance,” I tried. That sheer strength he has is difficult to contest head-on, but that Assault Vest gives him a glaring weakness. Once I weaken him enough, he won’t be able to do anything to recover from it.

  That was the plan at least, as Espathra darted in, rather than clumsily swinging at her, Aggron raised a pyramid of rocks around him with a clever use of Stone Edge. The feather energy constructs landed on the cold, unfeeling stone to no avail, dissipating quickly.

  “Left,” was Miguel’s simple command, but it was enough for Aggron, his powerful tail slapping through the side of the stone barrier he had erected and into Espathra, tripping her and sending her tumbling across the field.

  “Earthquake!” He triumphantly crowed, his Pokemon doing the same and stomping his foot down on the ground. The arena shook, though there was barely anything that could be felt outside of it, the dampeners keeping the rest of the underground room safe.

  “Dodge it!” I worried my cry came too late, but rapidly righting herself from the tangle she had landed in, Espathra leapt up. The earth rose enough to clip her foot, but the damage was minimal. Speed Boost isn’t quite there, but we’ve made good progress towards it.

  “Again, Lumina Crash!” I ordered while she was falling, my Psychic Type wasting no time in sending another barrage at Aggron. This time, the blow struck with far more effect, the natural resistance his Steel Type gave him countered by the injuries of the first one I had landed.

  “Charge in, Payback barrage, get close!” The El Primero had realized it as well; Espathra’s speed let her narrowly avoid those shots of Dark energy, which quickly petered out. Still, the maneuver let Aggron get in close, cornering my flightless bird.

  “Jump over him, Feather Dance!” Her powerful legs lifted her up, well over the towering juggernaut of steel, spinning around as she went over him, and she loosed another rain of feathers down.

  “Head Smash!” At his Trainer’s command, Aggron rose up, sticking up straight on his tail, locking his head in… then shooting it out, smacking into Espathra above him. The sheer power of the blow sent her flying into the top of the barrier, then crashing back down to the earth below.

  I held my breath, waiting to see how she took the attack, before letting out a relieved sigh as my Pokemon stood up on shaky legs. She’s not doing the best, but with Aggron so weakened by all those Feather Dances and Lumina Crashes, it should be easy-

  “Body Press.” My eyes widened at the command, watching as Aggron launched himself over Espathra. With her legs still shaky from the previous impact, I didn’t want to risk it and recalled her.

  “Well done,” I said softly to her inside the Pokeball before announcing louder to Miguel. “You win. That was quite well done.” And very informative of where I stand. Not on that level yet, but my training hasn’t been for naught either.

  Aggron gave a weary but overjoyed roar of victory for the crowd as I crossed the floor to shake my opponent’s hand. “Good match,” I congratulated Miguel. “Your skills are shining brighter than ever.” The admittance caused him to puff up his chest as he recalled his Pokemon.

  “See? My hard work isn’t going to waste here. ‘Sides, I’ll need it to face down her team. That Dudunsparce of hers managed to match Salamence. Without Mega Evolution, but still. I’m sure she’s training her team at least as strong, so I’ve got to be tougher than ever to give her a good challenge.”

  “I’m glad to see you believe in her so, every young Trainer is a treasure of Paldea. She shines especially bright, like staring at the sun.”

  My words brought about a wistful mood from him. “You don’t expect it, you know?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I always got told, ‘You’ll meet someone better than you someday.’ Got told that a heck of a lot more when I said I wanted to become Champion of Paldea, that people overseas might be better than me. And sure, maybe a handful might be, but… to face that here, from someone so young, I didn’t expect it. Or maybe I wouldn’t be ready no matter how old she was.”

  His hands trembled as he spoke, and I realized something: He’s scared of losing to her. His pride as a Trainer, as the Top Champion of Paldea wouldn’t let him face her at anything other than her best, but he was scared of losing to a nine-year-old girl. Or maybe not losing exactly; he's too excited to fight her for it to be just that. He's worried about being surpassed. That she won't just beat him, but someday soon, will reach a level beyond where he can stand. The sad part is he’s right to be worried; he’s at his peak, while she’s still climbing. Such power, in the hands of a young child…

  “When she wins-”

  “-Ye of such little faith,” he protested jokingly, but I saw a flash of hurt on his face at my perceived lack of belief in him.

  “Whether that day be this year or the next or the one after, I don’t want you to pass on your title. Not immediately. Continue being El Primero for a while. As you said, she’s too young.”

  That brought an uncharacteristic frown to his face. “I know, and it’s shocking how talented she is at that age. But still, if she earns it, then… besides, she’s not just skilled as a Trainer but incredibly intelligent too from all accounts and what I've witnessed personally. Almost scarily bright. It might take a bit of time to get her up to speed on things, but I think she could really do it.”

  I shook my head. “That’s what I’m worried about. I think she could too, and so if presented with that opportunity, would accept it, despite it not being in her best interests.” After a moment, I spoke candidly. “She’s a child; let’s allow her to continue being one, at least for a while.”

  That’s what makes her so scary - that she is just that intelligent and skilled at such a young age. Professors like Turo and Friede have taken note of her intellect. She has a good heart and the backing of her parents, one of the richest couples in the world. But even the best of people aren’t invincible. I’m worried about placing undue strain on her and would rather not set up Paldea’s greatest prodigy in over a century up for a prodigious fall.

  I shuddered at the very thought before remembering that Miguel was still here. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get down to Area Zero. But just so you know, if I’m saving the gloves for Nemona, that means you aren’t going to get your shot at them,” he warned me.

  “That’s fine. Perhaps I’ll face off against her when making my Champion challenge.” That was a far-off idea; at the moment, I had paperwork to tackle. One goal at a time. Chairwoman first, then Champion rank. Waving farewell to the man, we headed back to our duties.